At least 25,000 people have left the bombed-out eastern districts of Syria&#39;s Aleppo since evacuations began last week, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Tuesday.

&quot;Yesterday (Monday) only, we evacuated 15,000 people from east Aleppo. If we consider those evacuated on Thursday too, then the total should be 25,000,&quot; spokeswoman Ingy Sedky told AFP.

She said &quot;thousands&quot; of others were still waiting to be bussed out, amid a lack of information on the numbers of civilians and fighters remaining in east Aleppo.

The ICRC has been overseeing the complex evacuation deal for Aleppo, brokered by government backer Russia and rebel supporter Turkey,&nbsp;

After a month-long assault by government forces, thousands of civilians and rebels left the last remaining opposition-held districts of east Aleppo last Thursday at the start of the evacuations.

The deal was suspended until early Monday over government demands for the simultaneous evacuation of two Shiite-majority villages in northwest Syria besieged by rebels.&nbsp;

Sedky confirmed that 750 people had thus far been bussed out of the villages of Fuaa and Kafraya, in Syria&#39;s mainly rebel-held Idlib province, as part of the deal.&nbsp;

More than 310,000 people have been killed since Syria&#39;s conflict erupted in March 2011 with protests demanding the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad.

(AFP)

Red Cross spokeswoman Ingy Sedky told AFP 15,000 people were evacuated from east Aleppo on Monday alone

At least 25,000 people have left the bombed-out eastern districts of Syria's Aleppo since evacuations began last week, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Tuesday. "Yesterday (Monday) only, we evacuated 15,000 people from east Aleppo. If we consider those evacuated on Thursday too, then the total should be 25,000," spokeswoman Ingy Sedky told AFP. She said "thousands" of others were still waiting to be bussed out, amid a lack of information on the numbers of civilians and fighters remaining in east Aleppo. The ICRC has been overseeing the complex evacuation deal for Aleppo, brokered by government backer Russia and rebel supporter Turkey, After a month-long assault by government forces, thousands of civilians and rebels left the last remaining opposition-held districts of east Aleppo last Thursday at the start of the evacuations. The deal was suspended until early Monday over government demands for the simultaneous evacuation of two Shiite-majority villages in northwest Syria besieged by rebels. Sedky confirmed that 750 people had thus far been bussed out of the villages of Fuaa and Kafraya, in Syria's mainly rebel-held Idlib province, as part of the deal. More than 310,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 with protests demanding the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad. (AFP)

25,000 evacuated from Aleppo so far: Red Cross

Nearly 50 children who were trapped in an orphanage in the rebel-held Syrian enclave of east Aleppo were evacuated on Monday, some critically injured or dehydrated, the United Nations Children&#39;s Fund (UNICEF) said.

The Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) evacuated the orphans from eastern Aleppo, along with facility staff who have been caring for them, ICRC spokeswoman Krista Armstrong said.

&quot;They were given priority and were the first to be evacuated by bus when the operation resumed,&quot; Armstrong said, adding that she could not provide an exact figure yet.

Earlier, Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF regional director, said in a statement that all 47 children trapped in the orphanage were evacuated to safety, &quot;with some in critical condition from injuries and dehydration&quot;.

UNICEF and other agencies were also assisting in reunifying other children evacuated in the past few days with their families and giving them medical care and winter clothes, he said.

(Reuters)

'They were given priority and were the first to be evacuated by bus when the operation resumed,' said an ICRC spokeswoman

Nearly 50 children who were trapped in an orphanage in the rebel-held Syrian enclave of east Aleppo were evacuated on Monday, some critically injured or dehydrated, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said. The Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) evacuated the orphans from eastern Aleppo, along with facility staff who have been caring for them, ICRC spokeswoman Krista Armstrong said. "They were given priority and were the first to be evacuated by bus when the operation resumed," Armstrong said, adding that she could not provide an exact figure yet. Earlier, Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF regional director, said in a statement that all 47 children trapped in the orphanage were evacuated to safety, "with some in critical condition from injuries and dehydration". UNICEF and other agencies were also assisting in reunifying other children evacuated in the past few days with their families and giving them medical care and winter clothes, he said. (Reuters)

47 children evacuated from Aleppo orphanage, some in critical shape: UN

The UN Security Council will vote Sunday on a French proposal to send observers to the flashpoint Syrian city of Aleppo to monitor evacuations and report on the protection of civilians, diplomats said.

The council will meet at 10:00 am (1500 GMT) to decide on the draft resolution, despite resistance from Russia, Syria&#39;s ally and a veto-wielding Security Council member.

France circulated a draft text late Friday stating that the council is &quot;alarmed&quot; by the worsening humanitarian crisis in Aleppo and by the fact that &quot;tens of thousands of besieged Aleppo inhabitants&quot; are in need of aid and evacuation.

Thousands of trapped civilians and the last remaining opposition fighters in Aleppo were waiting for evacuations to resume on Saturday, a day after the operation was suspended by the Syrian government.

Syrian forces this week moved to assert full control over the east of the city, which had been held by opposition fighters since 2012.

French ambassador Francois Delattre said the international presence prevents Aleppo from turning into another Srebrenica, where thousands of Bosnian men and boys were massacred in 1995 when the town fell to Bosnian Serb forces during the Balkan wars.

&quot;Our goal through this resolution is to avoid another Srebrenica in this phase immediately following the military operations,&quot; Delattre told AFP.&nbsp;

The draft resolution would request that UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon quickly redeploy UN humanitarian staff already in Syria to the city &quot;to carry out adequate, neutral monitoring, direct observation and to report on evacuations from besieged parts of Aleppo and protection of civilians inside Aleppo,&quot; according to a copy of the text obtained by AFP.

Ban would also ensure the deployment of further staff, according to the draft text, which demands that Syria grant access to the observers.

The UN chief would report to the council within five days on whether access has been granted by the Syrian government, which has repeatedly blocked UN access during the nearly six-year war.

Protecting hospitals

Evacuations were expected to resume under a new deal that would allow civilians and fighters in other besieged towns to leave, according to rebel officials, but the Damascus government made no announcements.

The draft resolution would seek to ensure the &quot;voluntary, safe and dignified passage of all civilians&quot; from Aleppo and other areas under UN monitoring and coordination, with priority given to the wounded and most vulnerable.

It demands the protection of all doctors, medical workers, hospitals and ambulances following reports that Syrian forces had bombed all of the medical facilities in Aleppo.

The text specifically mentions the need to protect the border hospitals of Atmeh, Darkoush, Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salamah, where many of the evacuees would be taken.

The council would also demand that urgent humanitarian aid reach Aleppo, which has been under siege since July.

US ambassador Samantha Power said Friday that the observers on the ground would provide a &quot;presence as protection.&quot;

But Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin said he found elements of the French proposal &quot;questionable&quot;, including whether the observers could be quickly redeployed.

Ban has urged Syrian parties to resume the evacuation operation and allow civilians to leave safely, saying &quot;Aleppo is now a synonym for hell&quot;.

(AFP)

The council will meet at 11 am (1600 GMT) to decide on the draft resolution, despite resistance from Russia, Syria's ally

The UN Security Council will vote Sunday on a French proposal to send observers to the flashpoint Syrian city of Aleppo to monitor evacuations and report on the protection of civilians, diplomats said. The council will meet at 10:00 am (1500 GMT) to decide on the draft resolution, despite resistance from Russia, Syria's ally and a veto-wielding Security Council member. France circulated a draft text late Friday stating that the council is "alarmed" by the worsening humanitarian crisis in Aleppo and by the fact that "tens of thousands of besieged Aleppo inhabitants" are in need of aid and evacuation. Thousands of trapped civilians and the last remaining opposition fighters in Aleppo were waiting for evacuations to resume on Saturday, a day after the operation was suspended by the Syrian government. Syrian forces this week moved to assert full control over the east of the city, which had been held by opposition fighters since 2012. French ambassador Francois Delattre said the international presence prevents Aleppo from turning into another Srebrenica, where thousands of Bosnian men and boys were massacred in 1995 when the town fell to Bosnian Serb forces during the Balkan wars. "Our goal through this resolution is to avoid another Srebrenica in this phase immediately following the military operations," Delattre told AFP. The draft resolution would request that UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon quickly redeploy UN humanitarian staff already in Syria to the city "to carry out adequate, neutral monitoring, direct observation and to report on evacuations from besieged parts of Aleppo and protection of civilians inside Aleppo," according to a copy of the text obtained by AFP. Ban would also ensure the deployment of further staff, according to the draft text, which demands that Syria grant access to the observers. The UN chief would report to the council within five days on whether access has been granted by the Syrian government, which has repeatedly blocked UN access during the nearly six-year war. Protecting hospitals Evacuations were expected to resume under a new deal that would allow civilians and fighters in other besieged towns to leave, according to rebel officials, but the Damascus government made no announcements. The draft resolution would seek to ensure the "voluntary, safe and dignified passage of all civilians" from Aleppo and other areas under UN monitoring and coordination, with priority given to the wounded and most vulnerable. It demands the protection of all doctors, medical workers, hospitals and ambulances following reports that Syrian forces had bombed all of the medical facilities in Aleppo. The text specifically mentions the need to protect the border hospitals of Atmeh, Darkoush, Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salamah, where many of the evacuees would be taken. The council would also demand that urgent humanitarian aid reach Aleppo, which has been under siege since July. US ambassador Samantha Power said Friday that the observers on the ground would provide a "presence as protection." But Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin said he found elements of the French proposal "questionable", including whether the observers could be quickly redeployed. Ban has urged Syrian parties to resume the evacuation operation and allow civilians to leave safely, saying "Aleppo is now a synonym for hell". (AFP)

UN Security Council to vote on Sunday on Aleppo observers

Close to 8,000 civilians have been evacuated from the Syrian city of Aleppo with a sixth convoy currently &quot;en route to safety&quot;, a Turkish official said on Friday.

Foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Twitter that more than 7,000 civilians had been evacuated in the first five convoys.

The evacuation, from the last rebel bastion in Aleppo, began on Thursday under a ceasefire deal brokered by Turkey and Russia that would end years of fighting for the city and mark a major victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

(Reuters)

The official also said that a sixth convoy was currently 'en route to safety'

Close to 8,000 civilians have been evacuated from the Syrian city of Aleppo with a sixth convoy currently "en route to safety", a Turkish official said on Friday. Foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Twitter that more than 7,000 civilians had been evacuated in the first five convoys. The evacuation, from the last rebel bastion in Aleppo, began on Thursday under a ceasefire deal brokered by Turkey and Russia that would end years of fighting for the city and mark a major victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. (Reuters)

Close to 8,000 civilians evacuated from Aleppo: Turkish official

Thousands of civilians and rebels left Aleppo on Thursday under an evacuation deal that will allow Syria&#39;s regime to take full control of the city after years of fighting.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said the operation could take days as US secretary of state John Kerry warned action was needed to prevent a Srebrenica-style massacre with tens of thousands of civilians still trapped in the city.

Three convoys left Aleppo carrying wounded civilians, fighters and their families, with civilians mostly leaving on buses and ambulances.

&quot;Some 3,000 civilians and more than 40 wounded, including children, were brought out,&quot; the head of the International Committee for the Red Cross in Syria, Marianne Gasser, said after the first two convoys left.

&quot;No one knows how many people are left in the east, and the evacuation could take days,&quot; she added.

The withdrawal began a month to the day after Syrian government forces launched a major offensive to retake all of Aleppo, and will hand the regime its biggest victory in more than five years of civil war.

In a video message to Syrians, President Bashar al-Assad said the &quot;liberation&quot; of Aleppo was &quot;history in the making&quot;.

Thousands still trapped

US chief diplomat Kerry said what had already happened in the city was &quot;unconscionable&quot; but warned over the fate of &quot;tens of thousands of lives that are now concentrated into a very small area of Aleppo&quot;.

&quot;And the last thing anybody wants to see... is that that small area turns into another Srebrenica,&quot; he said, referring to a 1995 Bosnian war massacre.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said Thursday that around 50,000 people were still trapped, including 40,000 civilians.

The evacuations were announced on Thursday, after an initial plan for civilians and fighters to leave rebel-held parts of the city collapsed the previous day amid renewed clashes.

They began with a convoy of ambulances and buses crossing into a government-held district in southern Aleppo around 2:30 pm (1230 GMT).

A Syrian military source told AFP that the first convoy carried mostly civilians as well as around 200 rebel fighters.

The vehicles arrived just over an hour later in opposition territory about five kilometres (three miles) west of the city, and they were followed by two more convoys.

An AFP correspondent in the city&#39;s southern Al-Amiriyah district saw people piling on to green buses, filling seats and even sitting on the floor, with some worried there would not get another chance to leave.

Many were in tears and some hesitated to board, afraid they would end up in the hands of regime forces.

On the dusty window of one of the buses someone had written &quot;One day we will return&quot;.

A first evacuation attempt on Wednesday fell apart, with artillery exchanges and resumed air strikes rocking the city until the early hours of Thursday.

But the agreement, brokered by Syrian regime ally Russia and opposition supporter Turkey, was revived following fresh talks.

The defence ministry in Moscow said Syrian authorities had guaranteed the safety of the rebels leaving the city.

The head of the UN-backed humanitarian task force for Syria, Jan Egeland, said in Geneva that most of those evacuated from Aleppo would head to opposition stronghold Idlib, in Syria&#39;s north-west.

De Mistura, however, warned that &quot;Idlib will become the next Aleppo&quot; if a ceasefire and political agreement for Syria is not found.

Pressure on Russia

The UN Security Council will meet Friday around 1700 GMT to discuss the crisis in Aleppo in response to a request by France, which is calling for international observers to be sent to monitor the situation and ensure aid deliveries.

European Union leaders also tried to pile pressure on Russia Thursday, urging the Kremlin to protect civilians, but EU President Donald Tusk, however, acknowledged the bloc was largely powerless.

&quot;We know we are not effective enough. Unfortunately, I know who is effective enough, not in humanitarian assistance but in bombing,&quot; Tusk said.

Russia meanwhile accused the rebels of having violated the ceasefire as violence erupted before Wednesday&#39;s planned evacuation while Turkey accused Assad&#39;s regime and its allies of blocking people from leaving.

Iran, another key Assad backer, was reported to have imposed new conditions on the agreement, including the evacuation of some civilians from two Shiite-majority villages in northwestern Syria under rebel siege.

On Thursday, nearly 30 vehicles were headed to Fuaa and Kafraya to evacuate sick and wounded residents, the governor of neighbouring Hama province, Mohamed al-Hazouri, told state news agency SANA.

A Syrian source on the ground told AFP that &quot;1,200 injured and sick people and their families will be evacuated&quot;.

Backed by foreign militia forces including fighters from Lebanon&#39;s Shiite Hezbollah movement, the advance launched last month made rapid gains, leaving the rebels cornered in a tiny pocket of the territory they had controlled since 2012.

More than 465 civilians died in east Aleppo during the assault and another 149 were killed by rebel rocket fire on government-held areas, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.

Shrinking rebel territory

More than 310,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict began in 2011 with anti-government protests, and over half the population has been displaced, with millions becoming refugees.

Diplomatic efforts -- including several rounds of peace talks in Geneva -- failed to make headway in resolving the conflict which saw a turning point last year when Russia launched an air war in support of Assad.

With Aleppo out of rebel hands, the largest remaining rebel bastion is Idlib province, which is controlled by an alliance dominated by former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he discussed the situation in Aleppo Thursday with US and Russian counterparts, Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin.

After upping its involvement by brokering the Aleppo deal, Turkey said it would meet with Russia and Iran in Moscow on December 27 to discuss a political solution to the entire conflict.

(AFP)

Three convoys left Aleppo carrying wounded civilians, fighters and their families, with civilians mostly leaving on buses and ambulances

Thousands of civilians and rebels left Aleppo on Thursday under an evacuation deal that will allow Syria's regime to take full control of the city after years of fighting. The International Committee of the Red Cross said the operation could take days as US secretary of state John Kerry warned action was needed to prevent a Srebrenica-style massacre with tens of thousands of civilians still trapped in the city. Three convoys left Aleppo carrying wounded civilians, fighters and their families, with civilians mostly leaving on buses and ambulances. "Some 3,000 civilians and more than 40 wounded, including children, were brought out," the head of the International Committee for the Red Cross in Syria, Marianne Gasser, said after the first two convoys left. "No one knows how many people are left in the east, and the evacuation could take days," she added. The withdrawal began a month to the day after Syrian government forces launched a major offensive to retake all of Aleppo, and will hand the regime its biggest victory in more than five years of civil war. In a video message to Syrians, President Bashar al-Assad said the "liberation" of Aleppo was "history in the making". Thousands still trapped US chief diplomat Kerry said what had already happened in the city was "unconscionable" but warned over the fate of "tens of thousands of lives that are now concentrated into a very small area of Aleppo". "And the last thing anybody wants to see... is that that small area turns into another Srebrenica," he said, referring to a 1995 Bosnian war massacre. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said Thursday that around 50,000 people were still trapped, including 40,000 civilians. The evacuations were announced on Thursday, after an initial plan for civilians and fighters to leave rebel-held parts of the city collapsed the previous day amid renewed clashes. They began with a convoy of ambulances and buses crossing into a government-held district in southern Aleppo around 2:30 pm (1230 GMT). A Syrian military source told AFP that the first convoy carried mostly civilians as well as around 200 rebel fighters. The vehicles arrived just over an hour later in opposition territory about five kilometres (three miles) west of the city, and they were followed by two more convoys. An AFP correspondent in the city's southern Al-Amiriyah district saw people piling on to green buses, filling seats and even sitting on the floor, with some worried there would not get another chance to leave. Many were in tears and some hesitated to board, afraid they would end up in the hands of regime forces. On the dusty window of one of the buses someone had written "One day we will return". A first evacuation attempt on Wednesday fell apart, with artillery exchanges and resumed air strikes rocking the city until the early hours of Thursday. But the agreement, brokered by Syrian regime ally Russia and opposition supporter Turkey, was revived following fresh talks. The defence ministry in Moscow said Syrian authorities had guaranteed the safety of the rebels leaving the city. The head of the UN-backed humanitarian task force for Syria, Jan Egeland, said in Geneva that most of those evacuated from Aleppo would head to opposition stronghold Idlib, in Syria's north-west. De Mistura, however, warned that "Idlib will become the next Aleppo" if a ceasefire and political agreement for Syria is not found. Pressure on Russia The UN Security Council will meet Friday around 1700 GMT to discuss the crisis in Aleppo in response to a request by France, which is calling for international observers to be sent to monitor the situation and ensure aid deliveries. European Union leaders also tried to pile pressure on Russia Thursday, urging the Kremlin to protect civilians, but EU President Donald Tusk, however, acknowledged the bloc was largely powerless. "We know we are not effective enough. Unfortunately, I know who is effective enough, not in humanitarian assistance but in bombing," Tusk said. Russia meanwhile accused the rebels of having violated the ceasefire as violence erupted before Wednesday's planned evacuation while Turkey accused Assad's regime and its allies of blocking people from leaving. Iran, another key Assad backer, was reported to have imposed new conditions on the agreement, including the evacuation of some civilians from two Shiite-majority villages in northwestern Syria under rebel siege. On Thursday, nearly 30 vehicles were headed to Fuaa and Kafraya to evacuate sick and wounded residents, the governor of neighbouring Hama province, Mohamed al-Hazouri, told state news agency SANA. A Syrian source on the ground told AFP that "1,200 injured and sick people and their families will be evacuated". Backed by foreign militia forces including fighters from Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah movement, the advance launched last month made rapid gains, leaving the rebels cornered in a tiny pocket of the territory they had controlled since 2012. More than 465 civilians died in east Aleppo during the assault and another 149 were killed by rebel rocket fire on government-held areas, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group. Shrinking rebel territory More than 310,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict began in 2011 with anti-government protests, and over half the population has been displaced, with millions becoming refugees. Diplomatic efforts -- including several rounds of peace talks in Geneva -- failed to make headway in resolving the conflict which saw a turning point last year when Russia launched an air war in support of Assad. With Aleppo out of rebel hands, the largest remaining rebel bastion is Idlib province, which is controlled by an alliance dominated by former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he discussed the situation in Aleppo Thursday with US and Russian counterparts, Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin. After upping its involvement by brokering the Aleppo deal, Turkey said it would meet with Russia and Iran in Moscow on December 27 to discuss a political solution to the entire conflict. (AFP)

Thousands leave Aleppo under rebel withdrawal deal

Outgoing UN chief Ban ki-Moon expressed alarm over the humanitarian situation in the Syrian city of Aleppo on Monday, news agency AFP reported.&nbsp;

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&ldquo;The secretary-general is alarmed over reports of atrocities against a large number of civilians, including women and children, in recent hours in Aleppo,&quot; a spokesperson for Ban ki-Moon said. &nbsp;

&quot;While stressing that the United Nations is not able to independently verify these reports, the secretary-general is conveying his grave concern to the relevant parties,&quot; AFP quoted Stephane Dujarric as saying.

Ban has urged all sides, particularly Syria&#39;s government and its allies, to protect civilians, the BBC reported.

AFP reported that the rebels have now lost more than 90 per cent of eastern Aleppo, territory that they used to hold.

&ldquo;The battle in eastern Aleppo should end quickly. They (rebels) don&rsquo;t have much time. They either have to surrender or die,&rdquo; said Lieutenant General Zaid al-Saleh, head of the Syrian government&rsquo;s local security committee, according to the Guardian.

Tens of thousands of civilians are also believed to be in the rebel enclave, according to the BBC.

An AFP correspondent in government-held west Aleppo said celebratory gunfire could be heard late Monday.

The fall of Aleppo would be a massive blow to the rebels, and leave the government in control of the country&#39;s five major cities.

Ban will step down as secretary-general at the end of the year, completing a 10-year tenure, and will be replaced by Antonio Guterres, who was sworn in Monday.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Outgoing UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged all sides, particularly Syria's government and its allies, to protect civilians

Outgoing UN chief Ban ki-Moon expressed alarm over the humanitarian situation in the Syrian city of Aleppo on Monday, news agency AFP reported. “The secretary-general is alarmed over reports of atrocities against a large number of civilians, including women and children, in recent hours in Aleppo," a spokesperson for Ban ki-Moon said. "While stressing that the United Nations is not able to independently verify these reports, the secretary-general is conveying his grave concern to the relevant parties," AFP quoted Stephane Dujarric as saying. Ban has urged all sides, particularly Syria's government and its allies, to protect civilians, the BBC reported. AFP reported that the rebels have now lost more than 90 per cent of eastern Aleppo, territory that they used to hold. “The battle in eastern Aleppo should end quickly. They (rebels) don’t have much time. They either have to surrender or die,” said Lieutenant General Zaid al-Saleh, head of the Syrian government’s local security committee, according to the Guardian. Tens of thousands of civilians are also believed to be in the rebel enclave, according to the BBC. An AFP correspondent in government-held west Aleppo said celebratory gunfire could be heard late Monday. The fall of Aleppo would be a massive blow to the rebels, and leave the government in control of the country's five major cities. Ban will step down as secretary-general at the end of the year, completing a 10-year tenure, and will be replaced by Antonio Guterres, who was sworn in Monday. (WION with inputs from agencies)

UN chief alarmed by reports of atrocities against civilians in Aleppo