UN in Talks to Resume Now-Suspended Evacuation in Syria’s Aleppo

UN officials are making every effort to resume the evacuation of civilians and anti-government rebels from Aleppo, Syria that was suspended earlier Friday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said at a news conference.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – He expressed regret over the suspension, which was blamed on armed confrontation. Ban said UN aid crews and their partners in Idlib, Syria had staged supplies that could swiftly be delivered to those in need.

“The United Nations is currently engaging and mobilizing all possible resources and manpower, engaging and urging the parties to take all necessary measures to allow safe resumption of this evacuation process,” Ban told reporters at UN headquarters in New York.

According to Ban, as a result of operations that began Thursday, “thousands of people were able to leave Aleppo, including 194 patients evacuated with assistance of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations.”

Aleppo in recent months has become a major battleground, with the city divided into the government-held western part and militant-controlled eastern districts.

Also Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that Aleppo is now under full government control with a Syrian army operation to retake the eastern districts complete.