Up to 16,000 people have fled violence in the eastern region of Aleppo, one of the areas devastated by the war in Syria, with food stocks "practically finished" and every hospital bombed, he said Tuesday the head The United Nations.
On Monday night, the Syrian regime continued to strike east of Aleppo with aerial bombardments, while troops tore the territory in an operation to retake the enclave after more than four years of rebel control.
"I am extremely concerned about the fate of civilians as a result of the deeply alarming and chilling situation in the city of Aleppo," Stephen O'Brien, the UN's chief humanitarian officer, said in a statement.
"Initial reports indicate that up to 16,000 people have been displaced, many under precarious and uncertain situations.Thousands more are likely to have no choice but to flee if fighting continues to expand in the coming days, "the United Nations official added.
Government forces and paramilitary groups loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad began a new offensive in eastern Aleppo on November 15, as the regime's warplanes continued to fight in the area to expel rebels and civilians .
They have made a rapid recovery of the territory since they entered the east of Aleppo this Saturday, taking a great portion of the northeast. Russian media quoted his defense minister as saying on Monday that 40 percent of the territory was in the hands of the regime, but sources consulted by CNN say that only 20 percent is recovered.
An activist at the Aleppo Media Center says at least 25 people have died and many others were injured during the night when the regime threw parachute bombs in the Bab al-Nayreb neighborhood.
"There are no means of transport or vehicles on the streets, so civilians are fleeing between 8 and 9 kilometers on foot, carrying what they can with them and their children, and leaving through the western part of Aleppo," An activist told CNN.
On 13 November, the UN distributed the last food rations and the humanitarian advisor of that organization, Jan Egeland last week warned that people in the area were about to starve.
Restore help
Eastern Aleppo has become the epicenter of Syria's civil war, much of that area decimated by regime attacks backed by Russian air power.
Assad has promised to take over the entire Aleppo, which has been divided for years between two: the regime-controlled western area, and the rebel-controlled eastern region.
The government has besieged the east several times, cutting off the outside world for both rebels and civilians, leaving communities on the verge of starvation without enough food, drinking water, fuel and medical supplements.
"I called on all parties to the conflict to restore basic humanitarian aid in Syria," O'Brian said. "I called for them to lift the sieges, making sure not to attack civilians, or civilian infrastructure, and to allow humanitarian organizations secure and unimpeded access to help save the displaced or be besieged."
It is believed that more than 200,000 people still remain in eastern Aleppo, many of them trapped.
Before the evacuations of the last days, UNICEF said that about 100,000 children were there.
Many are too scared to use the government's "human corridors" fearing reprisals once they escape. Others say the rebels forced them to stay.
The beginning of the end?
Retaking all of Aleppo could mark a point of return in the civil war of Syria, because that city is the last strength of the country's rebel forces. Regaining control would put the regime back in charge of the four main cities.
Some observers suggest that it would be from the beginning of the end of the uprising that began in 2011.
A solution to the war has eluded the international community for several years. Russia and the United States have become involved, usually standing in opposite places of the conflict.
Russia has repeatedly used its veto power in the United Nations Security Council to overturn proposed resolutions for the conflict.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called on the Security Council to meet and review the situation immediately.
"More than ever there is an urgent need for a cessation of hostilities and unhindered access to humanitarian assistance," Ayrault said in a statement, adding that the leader of the Aleppo district councils Brita Hagi Hasan , This Wednesday in Paris.
O'Brien also called for a political solution, saying that "the people of Syria have suffered too much and for a long time."
"More than anything, I hope that a road will soon be opened towards a political solution so that we can give a look of hope to the many millions of Syrian families that are hungry, sick and afraid for their lives tonight," he said.
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