WEB DESK
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that the Russian and Syrian bombing raids in Aleppo have had horrific results with nearly 500 dead, while food rations are expected to run out by the end of the month. Ban Ki-moon said, in a special meeting of the General Assembly yesterday. The air strikes on rebel-held eastern Aleppo since the Syrian government offensive was launched on September 22nd have been the most intense of the five year war, Ban told.
Nearly 500 people have been killed and about 2,000 injured. More than a quarter of all deaths are children. No UN aid convoy has entered Aleppo since July 7th and food rations will run out by the end of October, Ban warned, saying hunger was being used as a weapon of war. The meeting at the General Assembly was called by 72 countries led by Canada to try to break the deadlock after the Security Council failed to take action to end the bombings and revive peace efforts.
Russia has long maintained that it is supporting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in a war against the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists, both designated as terror organizations by the United Nations. Russia this week declared a humanitarian pause in the assault on eastern Aleppo, where more than 250,000 civilians have been trapped, under near-continuous siege since July.