UN warns continued fighting could completely destroy Aleppo

World Today

Syria's AleppoA Syrian APC moves raising dust in Harasta, northeast of Damascus, Syria. (Alexander Kots/Komsomolskaya Pravda via AP, File)

Eastern Aleppo as it stands could be all but destroyed by the end of the year, according to the United Nations.

The U.N.’s assessment comes as fighting has intensified in Syria and a diplomatic solution to the crisis seems elusive following the suspension by the U.S. of bilateral ceasefire negotiations with Russia this week.

CCTV America’s Jim Spellman reports.

“The bottom line is that in maximum two months, two and a half months, the city of eastern Aleppo at this rate may be totally destroyed. We are talking about the old city particularly, and thousands of Syrian civilians, not terrorists, will be killed,” Staffan de Mistura, the U.N. Special Envoy for Syria, said.

The remarks come as Russian-backed Syrian government forces have increased in an effort to take back the rebel controlled parts of Aleppo.

The United Nations has estimated that there are about 900-1,000 al-Qaida linked terrorists in Aleppo. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said that defeating the those groups is his top priority.

“There’s no other option. We won’t accept that terrorists will take control of any part of Syria, not only Aleppo. This is our mission, and this is our goal, and this is our next step,” Assad said.

According to the U.N., over 400 people—more than 100 of which are children—have been killed in Aleppo over the last two weeks. De Mistura urged both Russia and Syria to stop bombing the area, while making a personal plea to the Jihadis fighting alongside the opposition in Aleppo.

“And if you did decide to leave, in dignity and with your weapons, to Idlib or anywhere you wanted to go, I personally am ready physically to accompany you,” de Mistura said.