UN Security Council Approves Immediate Entry of UN Observers to Aleppo

On Monday, December 29, the United Nations Security Council unanimously voted in favor of a resolution for the immediate entry of UN observers to the city of Aleppo, Syria, to monitor the evacuation of civilians from the city. According to AFP, this action is the first sign of unity among the members of the UN Security Council after months of disagreement over Syria. The proposal by France to send international observers to Aleppo and evacuate all civilians faced strong opposition from Russia on Sunday, December 28, but Moscow agreed to the plan on Monday. According to ITAR-TASS, the approved resolution calls on the UN and other international bodies to monitor the evacuation of civilians from East Aleppo directly, impartially, and adequately. The resolution also requests UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to take necessary steps in this regard. The Security Council urged all parties involved in Syria to immediately and unconditionally facilitate humanitarian assistance to East Aleppo. According to Reuters, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault stated on Monday that the implementation of the Security Council resolution is considered the first step, and all parties, particularly the Syrian government and its allies, must implement it immediately. Meanwhile, thousands of people have evacuated from Aleppo and two Shiite villages in the region following the approval of this resolution by the UN Security Council. In this context, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu stated on Monday that 20,000 civilians have been evacuated from Aleppo. The United Nations also reported that nearly 50 children, some of whom were severely injured, were rescued from a children's care center in East Aleppo. According to Reuters, the evacuation of civilians from the two Shiite villages of Foua and Kafraya was carried out at the request of the Syrian army and its allies in exchange for the evacuation of civilians from East Aleppo. Previously, reports indicated that about 1,500 civilians were residing in these two villages. The Syrian civil war is on the verge of entering its sixth year, having begun after a severe crackdown on protests against Bashar al-Assad. It is estimated that nearly half a million people have been killed in the conflict, and half of Syria's population has been displaced.