France on Tuesday called for an “immediate” UN Security Council meeting on Aleppo to tackle the “humanitarian disaster” in the besieged Syrian city.

“More than ever, there is an urgent need for a cessation of hostilities and unhindered access to humanitarian assistance”, Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said in a statement on Aleppo.

The call came as the Syrian army advanced deep inside east Aleppo, taking several neighborhoods from the opposition in an onslaught to recapture the entire city.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, the UN said up to 16,000 civilians have fled parts of eastern Aleppo, describing the situation as “chilling”.

“The intensity of attacks on eastern Aleppo neighborhoods over the past few days has forced thousands of civilians to flee to other parts of the city,” UN humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien said in a statement.

He pointed to reports from the UN’s humanitarian partners on the ground indicating that “up to 16,000 people have been displaced, many into uncertain and precarious situations”.

Source: AFP