The Syrian government says it has reached an agreement with the U.N. that will allow some residents to leave the old city of Homs, an area that has been cut off from humanitarian aid for more than a year.

The state-run SANA news agency says the deal covers "innocent civilians" — including women, children, the elderly and injured people. The status of men was not immediately clear.

The agreement was also reported to include a plan to provide humanitarian assistance to civilians in the old city.

A U.N. spokesman told VOA on Thursday that he could not confirm the accord, but said discussions on a deal have been ongoing.

Syrian government and opposition delegates discussed the status of civilians in Homs during recent peace talks in Geneva.

More than 130,000 people have been killed and 9.5 million displaced since Syria's civil war broke out in 2011. [Read More]

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Source: VOA News: Labor