UN urges Turkey to open borders, end to bombing of Syria’s Aleppo

The United Nations urged Turkey to open its borders to tens of thousands of Syrians who have overwhelmed nearby emergency camps and an end to bombings of their home province Aleppo, The Manila Times reported.

“The highest need and the best humanitarian response is for the bombing to stop,” UN aid chief Stephen O’Brien said, when asked if Russia should halt its air campaign in Aleppo.

“All bombings should stop,” he said.

The main border crossing north of Syria’s second city Aleppo remained closed Tuesday, forcing huge crowds including women and children to sleep in tents or in the open.

“There are no longer enough places for families to sleep,” said Ahmad al-Mohammad, a field worker with medical aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

“Most of the families left with just the clothes they were in,” he told AFP, adding that the cold and crowded conditions were causing health problems including diarrhea.