United nation envoy to Syria urges more efforts to end hostilities in Syria

UN envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura called for exerting more efforts to put into effect the provisional cease-fire proposed by the U.S. and Russia.

In a press conference Thursday, he said the two tracks ie, the humanitarian issue and halting hostilities, are going well hours before the start of the truce.

The UN envoy said he will convene the first meeting of a task force meant to monitor the cease-fire in Syria that will go into effect at midnight Friday. 

Mistura predicted a "crucial" day ahead of the start of the truce brokered by the United States and Russia.

Various sides in Syria's civil war have a noon Friday deadline to say whether they will abide by the deal, which excludes U.N.-designated terrorist groups like the Islamic State organization and al-Qaida's branch known as the Nusra Front.

De Mistura spoke to reporters Thursday in Geneva. Also at the press conference was his top humanitarian adviser, Jan Egeland, said The New York Times.

Egeland said convoys have reached 110,000 people over the last two weeks, including the hard-hit eastern Ghouta region in the last three days.

Source: MENA