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| Civilians evacuated from Homs, raising hopes for Syrian peace talks | Civilians evacuated from Homs, raising hopes for Syrian peace talks |
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| BEIRUT — The first civilians were evacuated from a besieged area of the central Syrian city of Homs on Friday, raising hopes for progress at a second round of peace talks next week. | BEIRUT — The first civilians were evacuated from a besieged area of the central Syrian city of Homs on Friday, raising hopes for progress at a second round of peace talks next week. |
| The evacuations from rebel-held areas of Homs, where residents have been without regular access to food or medicine for the past 18 months, followed a United Nations-brokered deal between opposition forces and the government. | The evacuations from rebel-held areas of Homs, where residents have been without regular access to food or medicine for the past 18 months, followed a United Nations-brokered deal between opposition forces and the government. |
| Pro-government television channels showed civilians, largely older people and women, wrapped in blankets and being ushered onto buses at a meeting point outside the besieged areas, in front of crowds of journalists. One woman was taken away in an ambulance. | Pro-government television channels showed civilians, largely older people and women, wrapped in blankets and being ushered onto buses at a meeting point outside the besieged areas, in front of crowds of journalists. One woman was taken away in an ambulance. |
| A deal for humanitarian aid to be brought into rebel-held areas of the city, where residents say they have survived on little but olives and what could be scavenged from abandoned houses, was a planned confidence building measure at the beginning of peace talks in Geneva last month. However, an agreement failed to materialize during the talks. | A deal for humanitarian aid to be brought into rebel-held areas of the city, where residents say they have survived on little but olives and what could be scavenged from abandoned houses, was a planned confidence building measure at the beginning of peace talks in Geneva last month. However, an agreement failed to materialize during the talks. |
| The deal reached after the first round of negotiations could provide a boost for a second round, which is due to begin next week. The Syrian government on Friday confirmed that its representatives would attend. | The deal reached after the first round of negotiations could provide a boost for a second round, which is due to begin next week. The Syrian government on Friday confirmed that its representatives would attend. |
| Under the humanitarian agreement, women, children under age 15 and the elderly will be allowed to leave the cut-off areas, rebels and Syrian officials said. After the evacuations, they are required to submit a list of names of the remaining civilians in besieged area before aid is allowed in, according to rebels. | Under the humanitarian agreement, women, children under age 15 and the elderly will be allowed to leave the cut-off areas, rebels and Syrian officials said. After the evacuations, they are required to submit a list of names of the remaining civilians in besieged area before aid is allowed in, according to rebels. |
| However, the State Department and other Western diplomats have urged the Syrian government to go further and allow unfettered access. | However, the State Department and other Western diplomats have urged the Syrian government to go further and allow unfettered access. |
| “There is no suggestion that the regime has done what is required under international law, which is to allow unconditional humanitarian access,” said one Western diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity to candidly discuss a sensitive issue. “We are deeply concerned about the population that remains.” | “There is no suggestion that the regime has done what is required under international law, which is to allow unconditional humanitarian access,” said one Western diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity to candidly discuss a sensitive issue. “We are deeply concerned about the population that remains.” |
| Homs’s governor, Talal Barrazi, told Syrian state television that men between the ages of 15 and 55 will not be allowed to leave, as they are most likely to be fighters. | Homs’s governor, Talal Barrazi, told Syrian state television that men between the ages of 15 and 55 will not be allowed to leave, as they are most likely to be fighters. |
| He said the first evacuation would be made up of about 200 people from the neighborhood of Jouret al-Shayah. It is a fraction of the 2,500 civilians estimated to be cut off in the city. | |
| Of the handful who were shown leaving just after midday Friday, most appeared reluctant to talk to the crowd of assembled journalists. The residents are expected to be transported to the rebel-held area of al-Waer. | Of the handful who were shown leaving just after midday Friday, most appeared reluctant to talk to the crowd of assembled journalists. The residents are expected to be transported to the rebel-held area of al-Waer. |
| “The civilians were afraid to go to areas controlled by the regime,” said Faysal Shareef, an activist in al-Waer who uses a pseudonym for security reasons. “They will be arrested or killed.” | “The civilians were afraid to go to areas controlled by the regime,” said Faysal Shareef, an activist in al-Waer who uses a pseudonym for security reasons. “They will be arrested or killed.” |
| Ahmed Ramadan contributed to this report. | Ahmed Ramadan contributed to this report. |