MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The European Commission launches a humanitarian initiative for Syria's Aleppo aimed at allowing aid groups to do their work and civilians to be protected, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid Christos Stylianides said in a joint statement on Sunday.
"We as the European Union are taking an urgent humanitarian initiative for Aleppo," the statement read. "First, it aims at facilitating the urgent delivery of basic life-saving assistance to civilians in East Aleppo covering medical, water and food needs… Second, it aims at ensuring the medical evacuations of wounded and sick from Eastern Aleppo."
Syria is seeing intensified fighting in the city of Aleppo, after the Syrian army declared an end to the week-long ceasefire on September 23, blaming militants for numerous violations that made the cessation of hostilities unreasonable.
Aleppo has been under siege by militant groups, including Jaish al-Islam, Ahrar ash-Sham and Jabhat Fatah al Sham, formerly known as the Nusra Front, banned in Russia.
