The Russian army announced Monday its decision to open its military bases in Syria storage of international humanitarian aid to the civilian population hard hit by the conflict, in order to facilitate its distribution in the territory.

“The Defense Ministry is ready to provide all necessary assistance to foreign and international organizations for the delivery of humanitarian cargo to Syria,” the ministry said in a statement. Moscow has thus opened its facilities in Tartus naval and military airfield Hmeimim in the province of Latakia for “unloading and temporary storage” of humanitarian aid. Russia is also ready to provide vehicles to help transfer using Syrian territory, the statement said.

A fragile cease-fire, initiated by the United States and Russia between government forces and rebel groups, came into force in late February, enabling the delivery of humanitarian aid in several localities. The UN has thus delivered Friday using three rebel towns east of Damascus in the second operation of its kind since the entry into force of the truce. More than 450,000 people are trapped in towns and villages of Syria, sometimes for years, according to the High Commissioner of the UN for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein.