An aid convoy is on its way to the besieged Syrian town of Moadamiyeh, the International Committee for the Red Cross said.

ICRC spokesman Pawel Krzysiek said 12 trucks carrying food, medicine and medical equipment are expected to be distributed to residents of the rebel-held town, south-west of Damascus, later on Wednesday.

Fourteen trucks of aid were delivered on Tuesday to al-Tal, a besieged rebel suburb of the capital, Mr Krzysiek said.

The aid delivery appears to be an attempt towards a goodwill gesture after UN-mediated indirect peace talks got off to a rocky start.

The Syrian opposition has dismissed the deliveries as too small and demanded an end to the bombardment of civilians for the Geneva talks to go forward.

Fighting between Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces and those trying to topple him has intensified over the past year, and the latest attempt at UN-brokered peace talks got off to an acrimonious start in Geneva over the weekend.

Attempts to broker a ceasefire and political transition deal for Syria are further complicated by the involvement of world and regional powers facing off on opposite sides of the conflict.

The aid deliveries come as international diplomats prepare to gather in London for an annual Syria pledging conference with a record request of £5.4 billion for aid agencies for 2016.

The expectations are partly based on the reframing of the aid debate over the past year, following the chaotic migration of hundreds of thousands of desperate Syrians to Europe.

The donor conference in London is co-hosted by Britain, Germany, Norway, Kuwait and the United Nations. World leaders and representatives of dozens of countries have been invited, along with officials from international organisations, aid agencies and civic groups.