Syrian government 'to let aid into besieged Madaya'

The Syrian government has agreed to allow aid into the besieged rebel-held village of Madaya, the UN says, amid reports of residents starving to death.

The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) said that if access were secured, trucks could begin to arrive by Monday.

Aid agencies say conditions in Madaya, near Damascus, are "extremely dire".

The UN said it also had government permission for access to Kefraya and Foah in the north but, unlike Madaya, these are besieged by rebel forces.

Up to 4.5 million people in Syria live in hard-to-reach areas, including nearly 400,000 people in 15 besieged locations who do not have access to the life-saving aid they urgently need.

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