UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations blamed all sides involved in Syria after a failure to secure agreement to evacuate critically injured and sick locals from Aleppo. UN's humanitarian aid coordinator Stephen O'Brien said, "It is deeply regrettable that no patients or accompanying family members could be moved. The evacuations were obstructed by various factors, including delays in receiving the necessary approvals from local authorities in eastern Aleppo."
UN aid agencies, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, the Red Cross, other medical groups, conducted days of negotiations to cry to secure safe passage for the sick and wounded, all efforts were washed down when fighting resumed. O'Brien added that armed groups imposed conditions to guarantee the safety of the evacuation operation while the Syrian government refused to allow medical and other aid supplies into the rebel-held east of the city. "After three days of lull, parties to the conflict have still not agreed, military operations have resumed and violence is now escalating," he said in his statement.
Syria's main ally in the war against rebels and jihadists, Russia declared a humanitarian pause in the region last week where over 250,000 civilians were trapped. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, "The political and military paths are trumping basic humanity once again in Syria. Over the last three days, what was needed did not happen. Our opponents must ensure appropriate behaviour by the anti-government groups that in particular sabotaged the medical evacuation that was intended during the humanitarian pause."
