- Title: U.N. vows to press on with securing Aleppo evacuation operation
- Date: 27th October 2016
- Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (OCTOBER 27, 2016) (REUTERS) UNITED NATIONS BUILDING U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA, STAFFAN DE MISTURA, (ON THE RIGHT) AND HIS SPECIAL ADVISER, JAN EGELAND, DURING NEWS BRIEFING CAMERAMEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. SPECIAL ADVISER TO U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA, JAN EGELAND, SAYING: "Process is now under way because we are not giving up, we are starting again today to try to do the three things: evacuate those who have very high expectations, had very high expectations to finally get out, to get proper treatment, to have them evacuated, to get the medical supplies in and to get the food and the other supplies in." DE MISTURA AND EGELAND DURING NEWS BRIEFING CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. SPECIAL ADVISER TO U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA, JAN EGELAND, SAYING: "It was very clear today that the Russians want to help us with the November plan implementation, they would like to help us get access to east Aleppo, just as, the United States and the like-minded, pledged to help us in our humanitarian diplomacy, with the armed opposition side, which is difficult, and which, in the case of the medical evacuations, was not satisfactory. We lost a lot of time because of the conditions that were raised also on that side." CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. SPECIAL ADVISER TO U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA, JAN EGELAND, SAYING: "A bitter war has become more bitter; a cruel war has become more ruthless. We need for the parties, and the sponsors of the parties, to help humanitarians do our work, if not, this winter will terrible, it will be the worst winter in now the sixth winters that we have had in the conflict." UNITED NATIONS BUILDING
- Embargoed: 11th November 2016 13:57
- Keywords: U.N. Egeland De Misutra Syria Russia Aleppo United States
- Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- City: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Switzerland
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA00155S7RRB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The United Nations vowed on Thursday (October 27) to press ahead with securing medical evacuations of hundreds of sick and wounded from the Syrian city of Aleppo and demanded that the warring sides drop their conditions.
The United Nations aborted plans at the weekend to evacuate patients from rebel-held east Aleppo, which it had hoped to accomplish during a three-day lull in fighting last week, accusing all parties to the conflict of obstructing its efforts.
"Process is now under way because we are not giving up, we are starting again today to try to do the three things: evacuate those who have very high expectations, had very high expectations to finally get out, to get proper treatment, to have them evacuated, to get the medical supplies in and to get the food and the other supplies in," Jan Egeland, a U.N. humanitarian adviser, told reporters in Geneva after the weekly meeting of the humanitarian task force, composed of major and regional powers.
Egeland also said the Syrian government had rejected a U.N. request to deliver food and other aid supplies to rebel-held eastern Aleppo and an area in east Ghouta near Damascus as part of its plan for November.
"It was very clear today that the Russians want to help us with the November plan implementation, they would like to help us get access to east Aleppo, just as, the United States and the like-minded, pledged to help us in our humanitarian diplomacy, with the armed opposition side, which is difficult, and which, in the case of the medical evacuations, was not satisfactory. We lost a lot of time because of the conditions that were raised also on that side," Egeland said.
In all, the Assad government approved access to 23 of 25 areas sought by the U.N. next month, including 17 besieged areas, he added. But it will allow relief for only 70 percent of the more than 1 million people deemed in need, Egeland said.
"A bitter war has become more bitter; a cruel war has become more ruthless. We need for the parties, and the sponsors of the parties, to help humanitarians do our work, if not, this winter will terrible, it will be the worst winter in now the sixth winters that we have had in the conflict," he told reporters.
In another sign that relations between Russia and the United States have frayed, Staffan de Mistura, the U.N. special envoy for Syria, announced that the two powers would no longer serve as co-chairs of a separate task force on the cessation of hostilities. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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