Russia Proposes Creation of 4 Humanitarian Corridors in Aleppo - UN Official

Russia and the Syrian government did not approve a UN request for a humanitarian pause in Aleppo, but Moscow proposed the establishment of four humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians and deliver supplies, humanitarian adviser to UN special envoy for Syria Jan Egeland said Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The UN official added that the organization would start discussing this opportunity.

"We had hoped to get the message that the Russian Federation and the government of Syria will allow a pause in the fighting for us to access east Aleppo and evacuate people out. We didn’t get it. However, the Russian Federation announced that there are four humanitarian corridors that they want to sit down in Aleppo with our people there and discuss how we can use the four corridors to evacuate people out," Egeland told a briefing, adding that the corridors would also be used to deliver food and medical supplies.

Over the recent months, Aleppo has been a major battleground in Syria, engaging government forces, jihadists, and numerous opposition groups. Eastern Aleppo is held by militants, encircled by government forces, and the fighting has affected thousands of civilians still trapped in the city.

Between 200,000 and 300,000 civilians are still held by terrorists in the eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo, according to Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien.