East Aleppo added to UN list of besieged areas

The rebel-held east of Syria’s Aleppo has officially been declared a “besieged area,” following a months-long government offensive and a lack of access for aid workers, the UN says.

United Nations humanitarian agency spokesman Jens Laerke says eastern Aleppo now meets all three criteria used to define an area as besieged.

They are military encirclement, lack of humanitarian access and the lack of free movement for civilians.

The UN estimates that there are 275,000 people in eastern Aleppo under siege, Laerke said. The west of the city is controlled by the government and has continued to receive relief supplies.

The UN and Red Cross have been pushing to get aid into east Aleppo for weeks, but those efforts have been stalled by insecurity and bureaucratic problems, including obstacles imposed by both the Damascus government and rebel commanders.

There are now 18 besieged areas in Syria, according to the UN.

— AFP