- Title: Aleppo rebels agree U.N. aid plan; Russia, Syria yet to approve -U.N.
- Date: 24th November 2016
- Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (NOVEMBER 24, 2016) (REUTERS) UNITED NATIONS BUILDING SPECIAL ADVISER TO U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA JAN EGELAND ARRIVING FOR NEWS BRIEFING JOURNALIST LOOKING AT COMPUTER SCREEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPECIAL ADVISER TO U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA JAN EGELAND SAYING: "We do now have approval, written approval in principle, by the armed opposition groups of east Aleppo. We have verbal support also from the Russian Federation on our four-point plan - we need written support and we need unconditional support also from Russia - and we are waiting still for the answer from the government of Syria." NEWS CONFERENCE ONGOING CAMERAMAN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPECIAL ADVISER TO U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA JAN EGELAND SAYING: "The trucks are ready, the humanitarian workers are ready, greatest humanitarian workers will be able to go with hundreds of truckloads of medical equipment, food and all of the other things needed in eastern Aleppo. And we are ready to evacuate hundreds of wounded to medical facilities in both west Aleppo and in opposition-held Idlib. We are ready, we need approval of the parties." JOURNALIST AND U.N. STAFF (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPECIAL ADVISER TO U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA JAN EGELAND SAYING: "What is my plan B?... Let's realise plan A, really...In many ways, plan B is that people starve...and can we allow that to happen? No, we cannot allow it to happen." UNITED NATIONS BUILDING
- Embargoed: 9th December 2016 13:43
- Keywords: Syria Aleppo Russia United Nations Egeland
- Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- City: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Switzerland
- Topics: Government/Politics,United Nations
- Reuters ID: LVA00159T0X1J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Syrian rebels in besieged east Aleppo have agreed to a U.N. plan for aid delivery and medical evacuations, but the United Nations awaits a green light from Russia and the Syrian government, humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland said on Thursday (November 24).
With freezing winter conditions setting in, some 275,000 people are trapped in east Aleppo, where the last U.N. food rations were distributed on Nov. 13.
Hundreds of trucks are ready in Turkey and government-controlled west Aleppo to bring aid to the eastern sector, but the United Nations needs 72 hours once it has all approvals to prepare a "big, complex and dangerous operation", Egeland said.
"We do now have written approval in principle by the armed opposition groups of east Aleppo," he told reporters, specifying that he was referring to rebels with whom the U.N. is in contact - which do not include former Nusra Front militants.
"We have verbal support also from the Russian Federation on our four-point plan. We need written support and we need unconditional support also from Russia and we are waiting still for the answer from the government of Syria," he said.
Hundreds of wounded are awaiting evacuation for treatment under the plan, Egeland said.
"The trucks are ready, the humanitarian workers are ready...with hundreds of truck loads of medical equipment, food and all of the other things needed in eastern Aleppo. And we are ready to evacuate hundreds of wounded to medical facilities in both west Aleppo and in opposition-held Idlib," Egeland said.
Asked about any 'Plan B', he replied: "In many ways Plan B is that people starve. And can we allow that to happen? No, we cannot allow that to happen." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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