BEIRUT (Reuters) - United Nations aid convoys cannot reach vast areas of Syrian territory under Islamic State control, a senior U.N. official told Reuters, although the Damascus government is allowing better access to besieged areas elsewhere.
To get food and medicine to areas ruled by Islamic State, the U.N. relies on partner humanitarian organisations such as the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and on tribal contacts. This has led to "huge gaps" in delivering aid and assessing needs, said Yacoub El Hillo, the U.N. coordinator in Syria.