[Howell:] Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. In the Syrian province of Darazore, more than 400 people have been killed or executed during the past five days.
[Allen:] A London-based activist group says the casualties are part of ongoing clashes between Syrian forces and ISIS militants. The group says about half of those killed were Syrian soldiers.
[Howell:] Looking back over the past six years, thousands of people have died in Syria's savage war. More than four million Syrians have fled the conflict, which is considered the biggest humanitarian crisis since World War II. Peace talks are set to resume next week. But as Becky Anderson tells us, there is disagreement about who will be at the negotiating table next week.
[Becky Anderson, Cnn Correspondent:] It's a war everyone agrees must be stopped, but nobody agrees on how. Twice, international peace talks have failed. Already, it's not looking like third time lucky.
[Unidentified Male:] There's a lot of work still to be done. What we want to ensure is that this time it will not likely be delivered to a serious talk about peace and not talk about all.
[Anderson:] With days to go, the United Nations still hasn't issued invitations, saying it's up to major powers like Russia and the U.S., both supporting different sides, to agree on who is attending. But despite a last-minute meeting, there's still no clarity. In particular, a new Saudi-backed opposition council says it won't accept any other opposition groups attending.
[Unidentified Male:] There will be no negotiation in any way whatsoever if this there is any other addition. We will not go to negotiate. This then is settled and we will not succumb to pressure.
[Anderson:] So who might be at the table? The negotiations are U.N.- mediated bringing together the Syrian government and the deeply divided opposition. That includes political and fighting groups backed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and France, and veteran secular dissidents who oppose Islamist rebels. Major world powers like Russia, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran will also attend. Everyone agrees that terror groups like ISIS and al Nusra have no part to play, despite their huge influence on the battlefield. And just to illustrate how complex and delicate this is, for some, even the presence of one of the strongest rebel militias is problematic. [on camera]: Having shocked the world by parading prisoners as human shields last year, the army of Islam is among those that Saudi Arabia wants to send to the talks in a war where human rights groups say all sides are committing atrocities and war crimes. If a guest list is finally agreed on, there is sure to be some difficult compromises involved. Becky Anderson, CNN, Abu Dhabi.
[Allen:] As we have been reporting the last couple of weeks, the war in Syria has led to severe malnutrition there in some regions. And the ongoing fighting has made food delivery quite dangerous. Peter Maurer joins me now from Davos with the latest. He is the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Peter, we appreciate your time. First of all, let's talk about the cities that are in peril as far as the people that don't have access to food.
[Peter Maurer, President, International Committee Of The Red Cross:] Well, indeed, this is a very serious situation and we have said it for many years now. There are besieged areas in Syria, areas which are out of reach of humanitarian organization. It's not only the three or four cities which have been in the headlines in the last couple of days and weeks, which are of concern to us, but a much broader area and a much more people who are in dire need and how are suffering from the most fundamental humanitarian assistance. We have difficulties negotiating our access, delivering our food, delivering our humanitarian supplies, and this is true for Madaya, Fakai, for all the cities, but for a much larger part of Syria today, a huge challenge.
[Allen:] Yes. Because ISIS stands in the way of many of these placing. How in the world do you negotiate with a group like that?
[Maurer:] Well, our ICRC is used to negotiate with all parties on the ground. We have been successful in certain parts of Syria always to carve out humanitarian spaces. We all know that this is not the reality as it should be. Mutual and impartial organizations should have unconditional access to populations in need. We have to negotiate each and every square foot of access in Syria, but we have been able, even with radical groups, to find consensus around Aleppo, around Homs, recent in recent days, around Madaya, but delivery is a huge problem. And once again, the problem is much bigger than just the couple of cities that I mentioned.
[Allen:] Well, we didn't know that there were more cities involved. These people are in dire situations. It's hard to believe that there's anyone still trying to live their life out in Syria, what we've seen in the past few years. We appreciate you talking to us and, of course, the efforts of the ICRC. Peter Maurer, for us, thank you.
[Howell:] One race is tightening. The other looks like a blowout.
[Allen:] We take a look at the latest polls of Democrats and Republicans. A little more than one week to go before the first vote is taken in the Iowa caucuses.
[Howell:] Plus, a boy in China deemed unadoptable just met his new parents. A special report on their emotional meeting straight ahead. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.