U.N. says still no Aleppo medical evacuations

Record ID: 84208

  • Title: U.N. says still no Aleppo medical evacuations
  • Date: 21st October 2016
  • Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (OCTOBER 21, 2016) (REUTERS) UNITED NATIONS BUILDING U.N. NEWS BRIEFING JOURNALISTS TAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.N. OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (OCHA) SPOKESMAN, JENS LAERKE, SAYING: "Medical evacuations of sick and injured people could unfortunately not begin this morning, in east Aleppo, as planned, because the necessary conditions were not in place to ensure a safe, secure and voluntary evacuation of sick and critically wounded people, and their families." U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL SPECIAL SESSION ON ALEPPO VARIOUS OF SYRIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N. IN GENEVA, HUSSAM AALA, DURING SESSION (SOUNDBITE) (English) SYRIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N. IN GENEVA, HUSSAM AALA, SAYING: "They have the authorisation from the government since 19th of October, to deliver evacuation of wounded people inside the city." U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL SPECIAL SESSION ON ALEPPO ONGOING (SOUNDBITE) (English) SYRIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N. IN GENEVA, HUSSAM AALA, SAYING: "They say 'security conditions prevent that', while we know and they know that this is not the reason, that they are prevented by different terrorists inside the city from the evacuation, but I don't know why they don't want to talk about that." UNITED NATIONS BUILDING
  • Embargoed: 5th November 2016 16:40
  • Keywords: Syria Aleepo truce ceasefire evacuations
  • Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
  • City: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Topics: Government/Politics,United Nations
  • Reuters ID: LVA00154Y93K7
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:The United Nations said on Friday (October 21) that medical evacuations from eastern Aleppo had not begun as hoped, as a lack of security guarantees and agreement with all sides prevented aid workers taking advantage of a halt in bombing announced by Russia.
    The U.N. wants to use the pause to evacuate hundreds of sick and wounded from the besieged part of the city and to make food and aid deliveries.
    U.N. Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) spokesman Jens Laerke told reporters in Geneva that the U.N. remained optimistic and was trying hard to unblock access.
    On the sidelines of the U.N. Human Rights Council special session that was being held on Aleppo, the Syrian ambassador in Geneva Hussam Aala insisted the Syrian government had given the U.N. the green light for medical evacuation and that the authorisation was still valid.
    "They have the authorisation from the government since 19th of October, to deliver evacuation of wounded people inside the city," he told Reuters.
    "They say 'security conditions prevent that', while we know and they know that this is not the reason, that they are prevented by different terrorists inside the city from the evacuation," he added.
    Russia announced on Friday it would extend a pause in bombing militants in the Syrian city until 1900 local time on Saturday, for the third consecutive day, without specifying if it would be extended for a fourth day.
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