UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday welcomed a plan to cease hostilities in war-wracked Syria that would allow humanitarian aid to reach tens of thousands clinging to life.

"I welcome the decisions made by the International Syria Support Group to facilitate humanitarian access to besieged and hard to reach areas in Syria and on a nationwide cessation of hostilities, which was agreed upon yesterday in Germany," Ban told a news conference.

"Tens of thousands of people there are in desperate need of life saving aid and the entire country urgently needs peace."