Russia Expects UN to Step Up Efforts to Deliver Humanitarian Aid to Aleppo
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Russia expects the UN to launch delivery of humanitarian aid to Aleppo civilians as soon as possible, a diplomatic source close to the International Syria Support Group's task forces in Geneva told RIA Novosti.
Russia expects the United Nations to intensify its efforts to launch delivery of humanitarian aid to 90,000 civilians residing in the parts of eastern Aleppo liberated from the militants, a diplomatic source close to the International Syria Support Group's task forces in Geneva told RIA Novosti.
"Now, when several districts where, according to our estimates, about 90,000 civilians live, have been freed from militants, the United Nations faces the moment of truth, we expect it to intensify efforts to assist them. These 90,000 Syrians have been liberated from the terrorists. They endured much suffering, they were used by the so-called moderate opposition very similar to Jabhat al-Nusra as 'human shields,' the United Nations must help them," the source said.
Moreover, Russia is ready to cooperate in the medical evacuation from the militants-held part of Syria's Aleppo.
"At the request of the UN, we are ready to assist in the medical evacuation from the part of Aleppo still controlled by the militants," the diplomatic source close to the ISSG's task forces in Geneva said.
According to the source, there are still a number of humanitarian corridors open in eastern Aleppo.
"At the moment there is one corridor for militants and several corridors for civilians. These corridors can be used by the UN and for medical evacuation," the source said.
The situation in Aleppo has been seriously deteriorating over the recent months. Thousands of civilians are trapped in the terrorist-besieged eastern parts of Aleppo with no access to food or water. There have been several attempts to establish a ceasefire, however the bids have failed.
He added that Russian diplomats were maintaining constant contact with the United Nations seeking assistance for Syria's population.
He also added that, civilians should not be shot at while fleeing southeastern Aleppo, a diplomatic source close to the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) working groups told RIA Novosti on Thursday.
"Several thousand people have fled southeastern Aleppo in the past 24 hours. They are being shot at by gunmen, but they are still fleeing. The firing should be stopped," the source said.
The Russian reconciliation center based in Syria estimates that more than 6,000 civilians, over half of them children, have escaped the terrorist-control areas of eastern Aleppo on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Syrian government forces have cleared nearly half of the city’s eastern districts of militants, liberating tens of thousands residents.
On Wednesday, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the United States, France and the United Nations have failed to offer aid to 90,000 Aleppo residents liberated from militants.
Syria's civil war between government forces and a wide range of insurgents, including opposition groups and terrorists, such as Daesh and Jabhat Fatah al Sham (also known as the Nusra Front, or Jabhat al-Nusra), has raged for some five years and has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
