UN voices deep concerns at safety, security of civilians in Syria's Aleppo

The United Nations remains deeply concerned about the safety and security of civilians in Aleppo in north Syria as intense fighting continues, resulting in loss of lives and injuries, a UN spokesman told reporters here Monday.

"Heavy clashes, aerial bombardment and shelling continued over the weekend, placing thousands of civilians in Aleppo in the line of fire," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

"The UN urgently calls for a pause in fighting to allow civilians to voluntarily and safely leave the areas affected by fighting, to urgently evacuate the critically ill and most vulnerable people and provide assistance," he said.

"The UN continues to receive reports of thousands of civilians displaced from east Aleppo over the weekend due to intense fighting, but these figures remain unverified," the spokesman said.

The United Nations has information that more than 40,000 people have been displaced from east Aleppo and recorded as having passed through designated collective shelters under government control as of Dec. 9 .

"An estimated third of them continue to reside in collective shelters, while others have moved on," he said.

"The two main humanitarian concerns are protection of civilians and shelter for internally displaced people as winter arrived," he said. "It is critical that the UN obtains blanket approval from the Syrian authorities and security guarantees, including from non-state armed groups, to go anywhere in Aleppo where people are in need of humanitarian assistance."

The United Nations is actively working with all parties to that effect and continues to respond to the needs of the displaced wherever it has access or through partners, principally the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, he said. "The response includes medical care, hot meals, essential nutrition services for children and lactating women and winter clothing."

Aleppo is witnessing the most intense shelling and clashes since the conflict began there four years ago, following a major offensive the rebels had waged in late October.

The Syrian army has laid a siege on rebel-held areas in Aleppo in recent months, urging the rebels to surrender themselves or leave eastern Aleppo to other rebel-held areas in the northwestern province of Idlib.

The rebels didn't comply with the military repeated requests. The Syrian government accused the rebels of preventing the civilians, around 250,000, from leaving. Endit