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Aleppo evacuation: UN Security Council to vote on sending observers Aleppo evacuation: Thousands stranded in desperate conditions
(about 2 hours later)
The UN Security Council will vote on Sunday on whether to send observers to the stricken Syrian city of Aleppo. Thousands of civilians are trapped in increasingly desperate conditions in Aleppo, Syria as disagreements over an evacuation plan caused delays.
France has proposed that officials should monitor evacuation efforts and report on the protection of civilians. Reporters described seeing people sleeping in the streets in freezing conditions with little or no food.
Many residents remain trapped in the city's east in freezing and dangerous conditions, waiting to be rescued. The delays appeared to be caused by an argument over moving civilians from two government-controlled areas in Idlib.
A plan to evacuate civilians collapsed on Friday, but reports said a new agreement was reached in the early hours of Sunday. But Syrian state TV reports said buses entered eastern Aleppo around noon local time to begin evacuations.
"We are getting ready to resume the evacuation of people from eastern Aleppo, hopefully on Sunday morning," said Elodie Schindler, a spokeswoman for the International Red Cross (ICRC). A plan to evacuate Eastern Aleppo collapsed on Friday, leaving civilians stranded at various points along the route out without access to food or shelter.
Mounir Hakimi, chair of Syrian Relief, told the BBC on Sunday that the charity was waiting on the Syria-Turkey border to receive civilians. UK-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday that a rebel group formerly known as the Nusra Front was preventing buses entering the besieged villages of two government-held areas - Foah and Kefraya in Idlib province.
Pro-government forces had reportedly demanded that a group of people needing medical treatment also be allowed to leave the two areas.
Reports said a new agreement was reached in the early hours of Sunday but delays meant thousands of civilians continued to be stranded throughout the morning.
The International Red Cross said it was preparing for the rescue efforts to resume. Mounir Hakimi, the chair of Syrian Relief, told the BBC on Sunday that the charity was waiting on the Syria-Turkey border to receive civilians.
"We're waiting for the agreement to re-establish again," he said. "The news I have this morning is that an agreement has been reached six hours ago and the team is getting ready.""We're waiting for the agreement to re-establish again," he said. "The news I have this morning is that an agreement has been reached six hours ago and the team is getting ready."
UN voteUN vote
France has proposed that UN officials should monitor evacuation efforts and report on the protection of civilians and the UN will vote on Sunday on whether to send observers to the stricken city.
There are concerns that the UN motion on observers may be resisted by Russia, an ally of Syria's president and a veto-wielding Security Council member.There are concerns that the UN motion on observers may be resisted by Russia, an ally of Syria's president and a veto-wielding Security Council member.
Moscow has vetoed six resolutions on Syria since the conflict began in 2011.Moscow has vetoed six resolutions on Syria since the conflict began in 2011.
France circulated a draft text late on Friday stating that the council is "alarmed" by the worsening humanitarian crisis in Aleppo, where "tens of thousands" are in peril.France circulated a draft text late on Friday stating that the council is "alarmed" by the worsening humanitarian crisis in Aleppo, where "tens of thousands" are in peril.
At least 6,000 people left east Aleppo under a fragile truce on Thursday but the operation was halted a day later.At least 6,000 people left east Aleppo under a fragile truce on Thursday but the operation was halted a day later.
The besieged city has seen rapid government advances in recent weeks.The besieged city has seen rapid government advances in recent weeks.
On Saturday, various government and rebel sources said that a new evacuation deal had been reached, but nothing was announced officially and no evacuations have yet begun.
Aleppo's convoys will only start moving again when Shia civilians are allowed out of the pro-government towns of Foah and Kefraya, according to the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Istanbul.
Fifty buses have moved to the towns in anticipation, and more are gathering at the Ramousseh crossing outside Aleppo, our correspondent says.
What the resolution says:What the resolution says:
The draft resolution asks UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to redeploy UN humanitarian staff already in Syria "to carry out adequate, neutral monitoring ... and to report on evacuations from besieged parts of Aleppo and protection of civilians". The draft resolution asks UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to redeploy UN humanitarian staff already in Syria "to carry out adequate, neutral monitoring... and to report on evacuations from besieged parts of Aleppo and protection of civilians".
The UN chief would report to the council within five days on whether the Syrian government had granted the observers access.The UN chief would report to the council within five days on whether the Syrian government had granted the observers access.
The resolution also demands the protection of all doctors, hospitals and ambulances, after reports that Syrian forces had bombed all the medical facilities in Aleppo.The resolution also demands the protection of all doctors, hospitals and ambulances, after reports that Syrian forces had bombed all the medical facilities in Aleppo.
The text specifically mentions the border hospitals of Atmeh, Darkoush, Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salamah, where many of the evacuees would be taken.The text specifically mentions the border hospitals of Atmeh, Darkoush, Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salamah, where many of the evacuees would be taken.
Who is still trapped in eastern Aleppo?Who is still trapped in eastern Aleppo?
The UN's children's charity Unicef says sick and wounded children are among the evacuees from east Aleppo, some of whom left without their parents.The UN's children's charity Unicef says sick and wounded children are among the evacuees from east Aleppo, some of whom left without their parents.
"However, hundreds of other vulnerable children, including orphans, remain trapped inside that part of the city," it added."However, hundreds of other vulnerable children, including orphans, remain trapped inside that part of the city," it added.
"We are extremely concerned about their fate. If these children are not evacuated urgently, they could die.""We are extremely concerned about their fate. If these children are not evacuated urgently, they could die."
Abdulkafi al-Hamdo, a teacher who is also still in east Aleppo with his young daughter, told the BBC by phone he did not want to leave his home and city but believed he had no choice.Abdulkafi al-Hamdo, a teacher who is also still in east Aleppo with his young daughter, told the BBC by phone he did not want to leave his home and city but believed he had no choice.
"The weather is so cold," he said. "Some people have been here since 09:00 yesterday (07:00 GMT on Friday) and the children are so hungry they are crying. They are freezing. Most of them here are scared of a brutal end to the ceasefire."The weather is so cold," he said. "Some people have been here since 09:00 yesterday (07:00 GMT on Friday) and the children are so hungry they are crying. They are freezing. Most of them here are scared of a brutal end to the ceasefire.
"They are afraid that they will not be able to get out. This is the feeling of most people here.""They are afraid that they will not be able to get out. This is the feeling of most people here."