UN envoy reports significant drop in violence in first day of Syria ceasefire

There is no doubt that there has been "significant drop in violence" in Syria on the first day of a nation-wide ceasefire, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said on Tuesday.

"The situation has improved dramatically," Xinhua news agency quoted Staffan de Mistura as saying during a press conference held just 24 hours after the ceasefire taking into effect, though he added that isolated violence still were recorded.

The UN official also told reporters that the UN team has prepared a humanitarian convoy and is ready to send it to the besieged areas in Syria, but an official permit from the Syrian side is yet to be received.