Sixteen more people have died of starvation in the besieged Syrian town of Madaya since an aid convoy entered earlier this month, according to Doctors Without Borders.
Several dozen more residents of the town are in “danger of death” because of severe malnutrition, the humanitarian group warned. The latest deaths bring the number of people reported to have died of starvation in Madaya to 46 since December, according to MSF.
located in Damascus province, Madaya is under government siege, and its fate has been one of the sticking points for fresh peace talks on the Syrian conflict that opened on Friday after delays. Syria’s opposition wants to see the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions demanding an end to sieges in the country before committing to new negotiations.
Madaya is one of four towns included in a rare deal last year that was intended to halt fighting and allow the entry of humanitarian aid.
