GENEVA, December 1. /TASS/. Ability to get down to an amassed campaign of aid to the population of the eastern districts of Aleppo liberated from the militants will be the high-noon moment for the UN, a diplomatic source well informed on the operations of specialized workgroups of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) told TASS on Wednesday.
Russian diplomats and military experts support close daily contacts with UN representatives in an effort to arrange aid to the Syrian population, the source said. "UN officials and the media have kept discussing the so-called humanitarian disaster in eastern Aleppo that remained under the militants’ control for many long months," he recalled.
UN officials spoke on many occasions about the harsh situation of about 250,000 residents of the eastern area of the city, who they said stood in dire need of relief supplies of foodstuffs and medicines. They also always stressed the need for evacuation of the sick and wounded, the source said.
"It’s well-known Russia showed readiness to help the UN staff, be it the 48-hours-long or 92-hours-long humanitarian pauses, humanitarian corridors, and an attempt to deliver aid by the Castello Road last August that was disrupted by the militants, as well as an effort to organize evacuation in October, which was blocked by the local council," the source said.
"Now that a number of districts has been taken back from the militants and, in our assessments, about 90,000 civilians remain there, it’s the high-noon moment for the UN and we expect it’ll step up efforts to render humanitarian aid," he added.
UN officials know perfectly well that Russia always reacts positively to all the queries regarding aid to civilians, the source said.
- Over 6,000 civilians, including children, leave Aleppo over last 24 hours
- Defense ministry says UN not ready to cooperate on delivery of humanitarian aid to Aleppo
- General Staff reports Aleppo’s entire male population forcibly mobilized by terrorists
- Russian Defense Ministry dispatches mobile hospital to Aleppo
- Syrian army gaining control of Aleppo eastern quarters — diplomat
- Russian reconciliation center helps over 5,500 residents to leave Aleppo
- Over 20,000 Aleppo residents flee homes in past 72 hours — Red Cross
"These almost 90,000 Syrians were liberated from terrorists," he said. "They’ve lived through much suffering and the so-called ‘moderate opposition’ that, in fact, isn’t very much different from Jabhat al-Nusra has used them as a live shield. Now the UN has a duty to give assistance to them."
"There are no impediments to the delivery of UN relief supplies to the northeastern districts of Aleppo that have been liberated from the militants - Castello Road is free and quite secure now," the source said. "What remains to be done now is to coordinate (the deliveries) with the Syrian government, which will certainly meet the UN halfway."
Russian officials also expect that the UN will provide assistance to the displaced persons who have fled eastern Aleppo. "The Syrian authorities and the center for reconciliation at Hmeymim are rendering every kind of facilitation to them and have accommodated them on their premises where the displaced persons receive humanitarian aid but the UN staff should also help them and we expect immediate actions on the part of the UN, especially in winter months.".