in eastern ghouta 1 of 0 thousand people are need in help. another 9,000 have been trapped in two other kins. 200,000 people have been cut out of in dei spashgs azor. >> reporter: trucks carrying food and medicine finally arrive in madaya. a town of more than 40,000 people where they have been eating their pets and after that survived on a diet of soup made from grass. >> translation: we witnessed a lot and suffered a lot. people killed cats to eat them. people eight grass. we - ate grass. we need to break the siege. >> reporter: it is reported that as many as 28 people have starved to death. the syrian am was do dor disputed this >> the situation concerning the humanitarian situation in madaya is based on false notion. >> reporter: we have seen reports of deaths in the last few hours, we've seen pictures of starving people's. are they fabrication? >> yes, indeed. >> reporter: so mass starvation issued by the united nations and other humanitarian agencies and these deeply disturbing pictures of the town's population, including children suffer

in eastern ghouta around 176,000 people are said to be in urgent need of help. 9,000 people are trapped in various towns. 200,000 people have been cut off elsewhere. >> reporter: trucks carrying food and medicine final arrive in madaya, a town of more than 40,000 people where they have been eating their pets and after that survived on a diet of soup made from grass. >> translation: we witnessed a lot and suffered a lot. people killed cats to ee eat them. others eight grass. i saw people sitting on garage and eating it. >> reporter: it is reported as many as 28 people have sdavshd to death. in the u.n. the syrian ambassador disputed all this >> the information regarding the humanitarian situation in madaya is based on false information. >> we've seen reports of deaths, some in the last few hours. we have seen pictures of starving people, are they fabrications? >> yes, indeed. >> reporter: so reports of mass starvation issued by the u.n. and other humanitarian agencies and these deeply disturbing pictures of the town's population, including children suffering nutrition are, he claims, fak

. >> reporter: winter is harsh in eastern ghouta. scraps of wood, pieces of garbage, in fact, anything that burns are pushed into the home-made stove. >> translation: my dad and i made this heater. we don't have diesel fuel so we burn garbage. the smoke chokes us sometimes because it's strong. >> reporter: she and her father use pots and pans, old pipes and bits of metal to build the family's only source of warmth. it is almost impossible to get heating fuel. the things they would normally burn now cost far too much. >> translation: you see this, the charcoal? we can't even use this. it is too expensive. every now and then we use some so we can keep everyone warm. >> reporter: bargaining and hagg meddling used to be common at the local wood market. now among the wreckage there's no negotiation. for most people prices are impossibly high. >> translation: some of the wood here is from old houses. people have pulled it down because this is all they've got to sell. some of the wood i sell cost up to 100 syrian pounds. people can't pay th

in eastern ghouta, 176,000 are said to be cut off. 9,000 are trapped in the damascus suburb of dahlia, and in the western town of zab u darny. and i.s.i.l. fighters cut off some 200,000 people in parts of the eastern city of deraa zor. now we go live to beirut. why is it taking so long to get this desperately needed aid to these people. >> well, as you just referred to, we are talking about two distinct areas in syria. so you have government forces, in their eye, and you have rebel forces in the towns in idlib. that means all the sides evolved have to agree to the aid coming in, and it has to come in smult annously before that happens, a deal was made. it dates back to september. in september there was a u.n. brokered deal. turkey and iran helping to negotiate. there was a ceasefire agreed in the areas. last week there was fighters above madaya and idlib. that brings us to this third stage now, where it is becoming possible to deliver aid, and again, it has to be at the same time otherwise the different sides will not be in agreement. >> what about people in the rest of the country, p