World leaders call for an immediate ceasefire in Syria

NEW YORK, (Patria) - World leaders at a United Nations Security Council session called for an immediate ceasefire in Syria, as government forces attack eastern suburbs of Damascus controlled by the opposition, and hundreds of people have been killed in recent days, Al Jazeera reports.

UN humanitarian operations chief Mark Lowcock briefed the Security Council on what he called a "humanitarian catastrophe unfolding before our eyes" in Eastern Ghouta, a suburb of Damascus, AP reports.

Sweden and Kuwait have called for a vote on a resolution that would order a 30-day truce to allow humanitarian agencies to deliver aid and evacuate the wounded and sick from the besieged area.

Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzya, at whose request the session was convened, introduced last-minute amendments to the resolution, stating that the proposed resolution "is simply not realistic".

He also accused the world media of a massive disinformation campaign, which, he said, ignores the fact that thousands of fighters, including Al-Qaeda fighters, have taken refuge in Eastern Ghouta, from where they are attacking the capital.

Members of the Security Council stated that they must consider the Russian proposals, and Sweden's UN Ambassador Olof Skoog said the resolution would likely be voted on Friday.

At least 400 people have been killed in Eastern Ghouta, confirmed the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, in five days of intense bombing by Syrian government air forces, supported by Russian warplanes.

SOHR specified that 403 people were killed, including 150 children, while almost 2,120 people were injured.

More than 400,000 people live in Eastern Ghouta, which is under opposition control.

By the Astana agreement last year, Eastern Ghouta was declared a de-escalation zone.

Despite this, Bashar al-Assad's regime has intensified attacks in recent months.

The crisis in the region is growing every day, and a large number of sick people are waiting for evacuation.

A large number of children have died due to the inability to access sufficient amounts of food and medicine.