US concerned about humanitarian situation in Syria regions

U.S. officials remain "very concerned" about the humanitarian situation in both the Darayya and Moadamiya regions of Syria, State Department Deputy Spokeswoman Marie Harf said on Wednesday. "We have reiterated our calls on the Syrian government and all parties to facilitate humanitarian access," Harf said during a briefing. According to the United Nations, 2.5 million Syrians who receive little or no assistance are in difficult-to-reach and besieged areas, she said. "This is unacceptable," she added. "The regime and all parties must allow access. And we have been concerned about the double standard we are seeing for access; the regime lets people into its areas, but not into other areas." U.S. officials continue to seek additional information about 12 nuns taken from Maalula, Harf said. If the nuns were taken for their safety, then they should be released, she said. If they were not taken for their safety, "then we vigorously condemn this abduction. This is the latest set of depredations against the Christian community in Syria." Broadly, Harf said U.S. officials are "tracking toward" a Geneva II Conference where the Assad regime, the opposition and the United Nations will have delegations, "and we will figure out how those discussions are going to be structured from there."