UN relief agency "extremely concerned" with situation in Syrian city of Aleppo

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is "extremely concerned at the unfolding situation in Aleppo," particularly the situation for the estimated 300,000 people trapped in the eastern part of the Syrian city, a UN spokesman told reporters here Friday.

Those Syrian people were trapped in eastern Aleppo, the largest city in Syria, due to heavy clashes along Castello road, the only road in and out of this part of the city, Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, said at a daily news briefing here. "Heavy fighting over the past few days has continued to put civilians at risk of death and injury while effectively cutting off humanitarian access to people in need of assistance."

"This follows intensified fighting by all parties to the conflict in Aleppo city and surrounding areas in recent weeks, including reports of airstrikes, shelling, and heavy clashes, causing many civilian casualties and injuries," Haq said. "It has also caused damage to schools, hospitals, and other civilian infrastructure, and hindered humanitarian aid operations."

The United Nations calls on all parties to the conflict to take all measures to protect civilians, as required under international humanitarian law, in order to safeguard the lives of all civilians living in Aleppo city, he said.

The world body "also calls on all parties to the conflict to take all measures to facilitate humanitarian access, particularly to eastern Aleppo city, as required under international humanitarian law," he added.

Aleppo, once Syria's commercial and industrial hub, has been divided in roughly two since 2012, with the government controlling the western half and rebel factions holding the east, reports said. Enditem