UN 'gravely concerned' over situation in Aleppo

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For Syrians in Aleppo life is punctuated by daily bombardments.

The UN says it is ‘gravely concerned’ for the safety of civilians, including 100,000 children due to an upsurge in fighting between government forces and rebels in the eastern rebel-held area of the besieged city.

.UNCoISyria</a> expresses grave concern for satefy of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/civilians?src=hash">#civilians</a> in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Aleppo?src=hash">#Aleppo</a> <a href="https://t.co/AEH2LzG31E">https://t.co/AEH2LzG31E</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/UNHumanRights">UNHumanRightspic.twitter.com/8aESfmznR9

— UN News Centre (@UN_News_Centre) August 16, 2016

Opposition monitoring groups said air strikes on rebel-held areas had killed at least 15. One civilian calls for revenge on President Bashar al-Assad.

“He carried out air strikes on bakers, on civilians, merchants, bakers, food stalls. God help us. May God take his revenge upon them. God help us, look at all the body parts on the floor. God help us.”

Heartbreak… Look at how tiny that corpse is on the right… #Syria#Aleppo Photo via AFP</a> pic editor <a href="https://twitter.com/fgeffardAFP">fgeffardAFPpic.twitter.com/zDE76Ef5l7

— Sophie McNeill (@Sophiemcneill) August 16, 2016

Thousands have been displaced, water and power has been cut to two million on both sides of the front line, worsening the already desperate conditions.

Russia has hinted at a joint military action with the US against militants in Aleppo. It is a move which surprised many, as Moscow and Washington are on opposite sides of Syria’s civil war.

#Lavrov & JohnKerry</a> discussed Syria with a focus on the humanitarian situation in Aleppo <a href="https://t.co/7XK55yRYT5">https://t.co/7XK55yRYT5</a> <a href="https://t.co/lDf59I6ZaM">pic.twitter.com/lDf59I6ZaM</a></p>&mdash; MFA Russia (mfa_russia) August 16, 2016