The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Jakob Kellenberger, will arrive in Damascus this evening for talks with Syrian officials on expanding its relief effort there.
The two-day talks follow an appeal by the independent aid agency on June 10th for greater access to the civilian population, including people who have been wounded or detained in a military crackdown on unrest.
"Talks will focus on the humanitarian situation in Syria and on the role the ICRC is ready to play in order to assist people affected by the ongoing violence," the committee said in a statement.
Mr Kellenberger, a former senior Swiss diplomat, will meet Syrian prime minister Adel Safar and foreign minister Walid al-Moualem, as well as senior officials of the Syrian Red Crescent, it said.
The ICRC and Syrian Red Crescent have carried out short visits to Deraa, Tartous and Homs in the past month but their limited nature have made it difficult to get a full picture of the needs, the Geneva-based agency said.
Syrian troops and gunmen loyal to president Bashar al-Assad stormed the town of Bdama near the Turkish border yesterday, burning houses and arresting dozens, witnesses said, in a persistent military campaign to crush a popular revolt.
Reuters