Syria crisis: UN humanitarian chief arrives in Damascus

The UN's humanitarian chief has arrived in Syria to urge the government to allow aid access to its battle-scarred cities.

Valerie Amos met the Syrian foreign minister in Damascus and is now on her way to the violence-hit city of Homs.
Syria has said it will not allow an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) aid convoy into the Baba Amr area because of security concerns.
The US president has described the situation in Syria as "heartbreaking".
The UN-Arab League envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, is also due to visit Syria in the coming days.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallim told Baroness Amos that the government would co-operate with her team and was trying to help civilians, according to Syrian state news agency Sana.
The UN says more than 7,500 people have died as a result of the violence in Syria over the past 12 months.
Meanwhile, Air France announced on Wednesday that it was stopping all flights to Damascus until further notice.
The airline currently operates three flights a week to the Syrian capital but has suspended the service in light of the worsening security situation.