Civilians under bombardment in Syria’s rebel-held east Aleppo are facing “a level of savagery that no human should have to endure,” the UN aid chief said on Sunday.
Stephen O’Brien, who heads the United Nations humanitarian office (OCHA), issued a fresh plea to ease the suffering of some 250,000 people besieged by a Russian-backed Syrian government offensive to retake the key city.
In a statement, O’Brien called for “urgent action to bring an end to their living hell.”
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is battling to reclaim Aleppo, once the country’s economic powerhouse. Diplomatic efforts to stem the bloodshed have failed.
“The healthcare system in eastern Aleppo is all but obliterated,” O’Brien said, after the largest hospital in the rebel-controlled area was hit by barrel bombs on Saturday.