Opposing sides in Syria's civil war are due to begin a second round of peace talks in Switzerland on Monday.
The first round broke up at the end of January in Geneva with no firm agreements and with sides trading insults. Since then, aid convoys have delivered supplies and evacuated civilians from a besieged district of Homs - although a local three-day ceasefire was broken by shelling.
A man is helped in the beseiged city of Homs. Violence in Syria has driven 9.5 million people from their homes. Photo: AFP
It took weeks to arrange the fragile truce in the city. When it finally went ahead, one senior United Nations official called it a glimmer of hope to people in desperate need of assistance, the BBC reports.
However, it is still not clear whether it can be extended so more aid can be taken into Homs or repeated elsewhere to help others trapped by the war in Syria.
The civil conflict has claimed well over 100,000 lives since it began in 2011. The violence has also driven 9.5 million people from their homes, creating a major humanitarian crisis within Syria and its neighbours.
The government insists the talks focus on fighting "terrorism" - its description of the uprising - but the opposition says that the priority should be the removal of President Bashar al-Assad.
It has insisted that the government commit in writing to the 2012 Geneva I communique, which called for the formation of a transitional government.
More evacuated from Homs
Aid workers in Syria have evacuated more than 600 women, children and elderly men from the city of Homs.
Mortar fire and shooting continued as the civilians boarded buses to leave the city after 18 months under siege by government forces.
UN and Red Crescent teams also delivered food supplies.
Syrian Red Crescent spokesperson Khaled Erksoussi says he hopes a three-day ceasefire will be extended to allow up to 900 more people to leave.
