WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Amid the unprecedented military assault on eastern Aleppo, where fireballs from incendiary bombs 'light up the pitch darkness,' the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria strongly appealed to the Security Council - particularly permanent members Russia and the United States - to rescue a recently collapsed cessation of hostilities, end the bloodshed and speed aid into the iconic city where, overall, some two million people remain under a de facto siege.
'These are indeed chilling days for Syria and particularly, for the people of Aleppo, as last week was one of the worst in this six year of the conflict,' Staffan de Mistura told an emergency meeting of the Security Council, echoing a statement issued by a UN spokesperson yesterday which said the Secretary-General is 'appalled' by the escalating violence since the announcement two days ago by the Syrian Army of an offensive to capture eastern Aleppo.
Reporting that Aleppo is being reduced to rubble in the face of a 'remarkable new intensity - unprecedented in scale and type of bombing,' Mr. de Mistura said 'this Council has the responsibility to relaunch the cessation of hostilities' and reiterated his appeal for a common course of action, led by Russia and the UN, in three areas: ensuring a ceasefire; establishing weekly 48 hour pauses in the fighting to allow in aid and repairs for Aleppo's damaged water and power facilities; and allow medical evacuations for urgent cases in and around the city.
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