Egypt has delivered the first batch of food aid to the besieged Syrian town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta, said Mohamed Tharwat, the chargé d’affaires of Egypt’s embassy in Damascus in press statements Friday.

The aid convoy is from donations by Syrian expatriates in Cairo.

"In cooperation with the United Nations and the Syrian Red Cross, Egypt succeeded in delivering the first batch of food aid, such as flour, halvah and readymade chicken in cans, to Douma," Tharwat said.

He noted that other aid batches will follow, saying that the embassy is planning to deliver aid to other besieged Syrian cities.

Tharwat noted that Egypt is the first country to deliver aid independently of the umbrella of the UN and aid agencies. 

For more than two years, the territory of Eastern Ghouta, which is a large area located near the capital of Damascus, has been under a siege by both forces of the ruling regime and rebels, leaving its population in dire need of food, fuel and services.

Egypt has long been involved in responses to the Syrian humanitarian crisis, hosting a large population of Syrian refugees, more than 140,000 of whom are registered with the UNHCR.

Cairo's stance towards the Bashar Al-Assad regime is neutral. It has neither called for him to stay nor to step down since turmoil erupted in Syria in March 2011.