Moscow, Geneva: Russia will “carefully study and take into account” suggestions made by UN Syria envoy Staff de Mistura for improvements to its humanitarian operation in Aleppo, RIA news agency quoted Alexei Borodavkin, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, as saying on Friday.
De Mistura on Friday urged Russia to let the UN take charge of the humanitarian corridors allowing civilians to escape the besieged city of Aleppo.
De Mistura voiced provisional support for the humanitarian passages proposed by Moscow, but said the UN wanted to see key changes to the plan.
“Our suggestion to Russia is to actually leave the corridors being established at their initiative to us,” de Mistura told reporters in Geneva.
“The UN and humanitarian partners know what to do.”
He also echoed calls by UN humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien for a 48-hour truce to allow life-saving supplies into the city’s rebel-held east, which has been surrounded by pro-government forces since July 17.
“How can you expect people to want to walk through a corridor, thousands of them, while there is shelling, bombing fighting,” the UN envoy said.
Russia, a key ally of President Bashar Al Assad, called for the opening of the passages on Thursday for civilians and surrendering fighters seeking to exit Aleppo.
“We are in principle and in practice in favour of humanitarian corridors under the right circumstances,” de Mistura said, adding that the UN had been “studying” the Russian plan.
He said Moscow needed to provide more information on how the system would work, while reiterating the UN position that no civilian should be forced to leave Aleppo.
“The clock is ticking for the Aleppo population,” said de Mistura, who estimated that essential supplies including food in the east were likely to run out within three weeks.
