The UN humanitarian adviser for Syria is calling on world powers to help arrange the evacuation of 500 people, including 167 children, from the besieged Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta, saying it has become a "humanitarian emergency".
Jan Egeland said nine children had died already in the last few weeks while awaiting a green light from the Syrian government for the sick and wounded to be evacuated to hospitals just a 45-minute drive away in the capital.
"There is no de-escalation zone, there is only escalation in this de-escalation zone," Egeland told a Geneva news briefing on Thursday.
"We need sustained calm to be able to feed 400,000 people who now beyond doubt are in a humanitarian emergency"," he added.
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