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UN demands safe, regular access to E. Aleppo

NEW YORK, July 28 (KUNA) -- UN Humanitarian official reiterated his demand of safe, regular, and sustained access to the quarter of a million people trapped behind the front lines in eastern Aleppo.
The situation for people trapped in eastern Aleppo remains of the gravest concern, Stephen O'Brien, Undersecretary General and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said in a statement Thursday.
O'Brien pointed out the measures proposed today by Russia to set up humanitarian corridors, noting that it is critical that the security of any such corridors is guaranteed by all parties and that people are able to use them voluntarily.
"No one can be forced to flee by any specific route or to any particular location," he said, adding that "protection must be guaranteed for all according to the principles of neutrality and impartiality." O'Brien proposed on Monday, before the Security Council, for a 48-hour humanitarian pauses to enable cross-line and cross-border operations.
He said the pause is to "ensure that we are able to see for ourselves the dire situation of the people, assess their needs, adjust to logistical constraints and assist people where they are now with their life-saving and protection needs." In any event, all parties are required and obliged, under long-established and accepted International Humanitarian Law, to allow safe, unimpeded, impartial and immediate humanitarian access for civilians to leave and for aid to come in, O'Brien added. (end) mao.ma