Unicef calls for end to ‘dire’ situation in Aleppo

BEIRUT: UNICEF’s representative in Syria called for an end to the violence that has beset northern Aleppo, causing “dire” humanitarian and psychological impacts on both sides of the divided city.

UN agencies are on “standby” to deliver needed assistance, Hanaa Singer of the UN agency said.

The UN Security Council was expected to vote on Saturday on rival Syria resolutions sponsored by France and Russia. Both are virtually certain to be vetoed, as key powers are deeply divided over the course of action in war-ravaged Aleppo, and Syria in general.

Also on Saturday, Syrian state media and a Syria monitoring group said pro-government troops advanced in a northern district of eastern Aleppo, wresting control from rebel fighters in their latest push into the besieged area.

Singer said conditions in besieged Aleppo are “terribly dire”, with hospitals hit, doctors overwhelmed, and over 100 children killed in bombings since Sept 19.

Conditions for thousands of displaced in the government-held part of the city are also deteriorating, with some of them being displaced up to six times in the last three years, she said.

Singer returned earlier this week from a week-long trip to the government-held part of Aleppo where she was visiting thousands of displaced Syrians. Most are crammed in makeshift shelters, mosques, parks and churches after fleeing clashes on the frontline between rebels and pro-government forces. — AP