EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels have given their backing to a UN-led “freeze” in the city of Aleppo, in a bid to improve the humanitarian situation in Syria, which has become embroiled in Islamic State’s offensive in the Middle East.
Following discussions with the UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, on Sunday night, EU foreign ministers agreed to support an effort to implement a “freeze” in fighting in Aleppo, by helping with the reconstruction and rebuilding of local services.
“It is vital for the stability for any real hope for a solution in Syria, that Aleppo does not fall to Islamic State,” Minister of State for European Affairs Dara Murphy said following the meeting. “Aleppo is more or less completely surrounded by Islamic State and that has resulted in an extremely difficult humanitarian situation.”