UN Syria Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, has on Friday urged Syrian forces and their Russian allies to give the United Nations control over the new humanitarian corridors they established in Aleppo.
He said in Geneva that the main suggestion is that Russia should actually leave the corridors being established at their initiative to the UN.
de Mistura said that relinquishing the control of corridors to Aleppo has become imperative because the UN and their humanitarian partners know what to do.
The UN diplomat added that it is their job, and also demanded that no civilians be forced to leave, and that those who chose to exit Aleppo should have the right to go where they wish.
“In addition, there should be a sustained ceasefire so that leaving civilians as well as entering humanitarian convoys are not put at risk.
“There need to be guarantees on the protection of civilians,” de Mistura said.
He stressed that the Russian and Syrian proposal was still a draft, and that Moscow had shown willingness to heed outside advice on its humanitarian plan.
Meanwhile, Hagi Hassam, Head of Aleppo’s Local Council, Brita has accused al-Assad’s regime and Russia of propagating “lies” about humanitarian assistance.
“Not only have they cut off the sole lifeline to eastern Aleppo, but they have killed children and women.
“They have also bombed hospitals and vital places in order to force people into submission,’’ he said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, said that only 12 people had left Aleppo’s beleaguered areas through one humanitarian passageway before rebel groups set up checkpoints and prevented people from approaching the exit corridors.
The Observatory’s Head, Rami Abdel-Rahman, said that that regime aircraft and artillery struck rebel-held districts overnight.
“Entrances to the humanitarian corridors from the opposition-held areas were on Friday effectively shut.
Activists inside rebel-held districts said inhabitants are hesitant about leaving because they are afraid to be arrested by regime forces after crossing the humanitarian routes.
The Syrian government said that it had opened three humanitarian corridors in Aleppo to help civilians leave the rebel-held neighbourhoods in the city’s east.
Russian Defence Minister, Sergei Shoigu, also said that Moscow would assist with the operation, which also provides assistance to militants who surrender their weapons.
After blocking all incoming supply routes, regime forces under Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are attempting a siege of Aleppo’s rebel-held areas, where an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 civilians are thought to remain. (dpa/NAN)
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