German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has urged his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to allow humanitarian relief supplies to reach civilians in rebel-held parts of eastern Aleppo in Syria.
Steinmeier pressed Lavrov on the issue during a bilateral meeting in Minsk on November 29 that followed talks aimed at bringing an end to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
A member of Steinmeier's delegation said "there was a clear call to the Russians to allow humanitarian supplies to reach the people in the eastern part of Aleppo who are facing terrible conditions.
Earlier on November 29, the Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered the Defense and Emergency Situations ministries to send mobile hospitals to the Syrian city of Aleppo to provide "medical assistance to residents of the city and nearby communities" as soon as possible
Russia has been providing military support to the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as they have advanced into districts of eastern Aleppo that have been under the control of rebel fighters since 2012.
Syrian relief organizations have accused Assad's regime and Russia of intentionally targeting medical facilities in the city.
United Nations humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien on November 29 warned of the "deeply alarming and chilling situation" in Aleppo.
He said there are "no functioning hospitals left, and official food stocks are practically finished."
France has called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Aleppo.
