UN calls for ceasefire in rural Damascus

UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos Saturday called on all warring parties in Syria to agree to an immediate ceasefire in Moadamiyeh in rural Damascus so that humanitarian assistance can reach the people in need.

"I call on all parties to agree an immediate pause in hostilities in Moadamiyeh to allow humanitarian agencies unhindered access to evacuate the remaining civilians and deliver life-saving treatment and supplies in areas where fighting and shelling is ongoing," Xinhua quoted Amos as saying in a statement.

"We have been denied access to Moadamiyeh in rural Damascus for months," said Amos, who is the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator.

"Although the evacuation of more than 3,000 people took place on Sunday, the same number or more remain trapped," she said. "There are reports of continued shelling and fighting in the area, preventing the completion of the rescue operation."

"Those evacuated from Moadamiyeh -- mostly women and children -- received immediate assistance from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, UN humanitarian agencies and partners, local businesses and private individuals, including food, medical treatment and psycho-social support," she said.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March 2011. An estimated 2.1 million people have so far fled the fighting in the Middle East country.

The UN says more than 100,000 people have died so far in the civil war, which has been raging for more than two and a half years.