A/HRC/33/55 35. On 12 May, a convoy led by the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent carrying essential medical supplies, nutrition items and hygiene materials headed for Daraya was turned back at a checkpoint, despite previous assurances by the Government that it would be allowed to pass. On 1 June, five trucks containing baby formula, vaccines and non-food items were allowed to enter the town, marking the first such delivery in over three and a half years. On 9 June, the United Nations and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent were ultimately granted access to provide foodstuffs to Daraya. The following day, government forces heavily bombarded civilianinhabited areas, seriously hindering the distribution of vital aid for another three days. 36. Before a ceasefire was reached in December 2015, government forces had denied the entry of medical supplies into the Al-Waer neighbourhood of Homs city for three years. Currently, government forces impose a ban on fuel, and residents in Al-Waer described using electric heaters to burn wood, plastic or clothing for cooking. During the winter, elderly persons died, having succumbed to the harsh weather. By spring, residents resorted to eating grass and wild plants. On 14, 16 and 18 July, teams comprising staff from the United Nations, International Committee of the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent were able to deliver crucial shipments of food and health items to Al-Waer. 37. Since Jabhat al-Nusra and anti-Government armed groups tightened their siege around Foua’a and Kafria in March 2015, both towns have suffered shortages of food and fuel and a lack of electricity and water. In September 2015, an agreement was reached between government forces and anti-Government armed groups, including Ahrar al-Sham, concerning the Rif Damascus mountain towns of Madaya and Zabadani and the Idlib villages of Foua’a and Kafria. Parties to the agreement continue to use the delivery of humanitarian aid as a tool for political bargaining, which has left all four localities deprived of humanitarian assistance since 30 April. Incidents of malnutrition are increasing in those areas. The Commission continues to receive accounts of deaths by starvation in Madaya, where government forces carry on using starvation as a weapon of war. 38. In Madaya, families described cases of infant malnutrition resulting from the difficulties that starving mothers have in producing sufficient breast milk and from a lack of baby formula. In Al-Waer, the price of powdered milk, when available, is so exorbitant that one father recalled diluting the milk for his one-and-a-half-year-old daughter with water so as to not run out. Over the reporting period, at least three children between the ages of 5 and 6 died in Madaya as a result of malnutrition and disease. 39. Pre-war economies throughout besieged areas have all but collapsed and given way to extortive siege economies, with devastating impact. As the only entry points into besieged areas, checkpoints continue to serve as opportunities for extortion, where belligerents profit off of the desperation of confined populations. Residents in eastern Ghouta, Dayr Az-Zawr and Homs detailed price surges for basic commodities. The profits of siege economies may also provide financial incentives to deny truces. 40. The Security Council, through its resolutions 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014) and 2258 (2015), has authorized the unconditional delivery of humanitarian assistance, including medical assistance, to besieged and hard-to-reach communities countrywide. Despite marked progress, however, no sieges have been lifted in recent months. During the period under review, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs observed an increase of 103,500 Syrians living in besieged areas, as well as 870,000 more civilians in areas considered hard to reach. 41. The Commission is gravely concerned about the at least 300,000 civilians residing in eastern Aleppo city, where the last remaining supply line of Castello Road was cut by government forces in July, and about civilians in Minbij, Aleppo, living under ISIL control 8