16,000 civilians flee 'chilling' regime bombardment of east Aleppo
16,000 civilians flee 'chilling' regime bombardment of east Aleppo
Up to 16,000 civilians have fled strife-torn parts of eastern Aleppo, as rebels lose all of the northern neighbourhoods of their stronghold.
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The situation in eastern Aleppo is dire, with ground fighting and indiscriminate aerial bombardment [Getty]
Up to 16,000 civilians have fled strife-torn parts of eastern Aleppo as the rebels lost all of the northern neighbourhoods of their stronghold, the UN said on Tuesday.
"The intensity of attacks on eastern Aleppo neighbourhoods over the past few days has forced thousands of civilians to flee to other parts of the city," UN humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien said in a statement.
He pointed to reports from the UN's humanitarian partners on the ground indicating that "up to 16,000 people have been displaced, many into uncertain and precarious situations".
His comments came as the Syrian army advanced deep inside east Aleppo, taking several neighbourhoods from the opposition in an onslaught to recapture the entire city.
Many of those fleeing the intense battles in eastern Aleppo have gone to districts held by the government or Kurdish forces, others heading south into areas still under opposition control.
Othman, a resident of the Kurdish-controlled Sheikh Maqsoud, told The New Arab that over 3,000 mostly women and children fled to the district on Monday alone.
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| Up to 16,000 people have been displaced [Getty] |
"Two thousand of them were exhausted and in very bad shape. They all have left suddenly without knowing the fate of their other family members," he said.
"We are trying to provide them with warm places to stay and milk but the situation is out of control. We need help from aid agencies as they have come with very few belongings," he added.
Jamila, who recently fled from the al-Sakhour district, said that she and her three sons and mother took off with just the clothes on their backs and walked six hours, narrowly escaping gunfire, before finding refuge in a warehouse.
"We weren't intending to leave but when we saw death all around us, we decided there was no other choice. We are now living with three other families here. There's no food, drink or blankets here but we will accept everything that comes from God," Jamila said.
The situation in eastern Aleppo is dire, with intensified ground fighting and indiscriminate aerial bombardment reportedly killing and injuring many civilians, he said.
At the same time, indiscriminate shelling on government-held western Aleppo has killed and injured civilians and has displaced more than 20,000 people in recent weeks.
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