英语文摘:200 civilians to evacuate Syria's old Homs city

DAMASCUS, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- About 200 civilians are expected to be evacuated Sunday from the rebel-held old city of Homs province, a source in the Homs governorate told Xinhua.

The evacuation of civilians on Sunday will start soon, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Delivering aid rations and evacuating civilians from the besieged old city of Homs was part of an agreement between the Syrian government and the UN, under which a truce between the government troops and the rebels went into effect on Friday, when a total of 83 civilians were evacuated to government-controlled areas.

However, the rebels breached the truce on Saturday by launching mortar attacks against a police department and a square where the aid conveys were stationing, the official media said.

The source told Xinhua that two aid convoys managed on Saturday to deliver 250 food parcels and more than 150 medication kits to people who preferred to stay in their homes in the old city. He added that another two aid convoys failed to deliver the aid rations after the rebels fired mortar shells on their way.

The rebels' firing had also caused a delay for the departure of the UN teams, who were coordinating the distribution of aid inside the old city.

About 2,500 people are believed to be trapped in the rebel-held old city, part of which have been under government troops' siege since June 2012.