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GENEVA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- United Nations convoys loaded with assistance have yet to reach those trapped in besieged and hard-to-reach areas in Syria this month amid an upsurge in violence affecting northern parts of the war-torn country, the Office of the Special Envoy for Syria warned Thursday in a statement.
Following a weekly humanitarian taskforce meeting, the Special Envoy's Office reported "it was regrettable that no UN inter-agency cross-line convoys were able to proceed so far in November."
Chaired by the UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy, the meeting also took note of the rise in violence in areas including Aleppo, Raqqa and Idlib governorates.
The UN has repeatedly highlighted that the situation in east Aleppo, the scene of intense fighting pitching forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against rebel factions seeking to oust him, is particularly alarming.
As well as the dire medical situation there, the Senior Advisor to the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Jan Egeland, said on Nov. 10 that eastern districts would run out of food rations this week.
No mention was made of a UN four-pronged proposal launched at the beginning of the month to assist east Aleppo's civilian population as comprehensively as possible.
Contingent on all parties to the conflict giving the green light, the UN hopes to provide much-needed medical supplies, conduct medical evacuations, deliver food and other critical supplies while sending more medical personnel to east Aleppo.
Conditions in other besieged and hard-to-reach areas are also of concern as a result of the conflict which kicked off in March 2011.
Some 400,000 people have died during the war while millions more have been displaced.
