Doctors plead for access to aid wounded in Syria

BEIRUT — Doctors Without Borders pleaded on Monday for access to treat the wounded in the rebel-held part of Syria’s Aleppo as government forces pressed ahead with an offensive that has killed hundreds of people in recent weeks.

The international charity, also known by its French acronym MSF, said in a statement that medical workers in Aleppo are exhausted and that the overstretched facilities face an impending fuel shortage.

“Russia and Syria must stop the indiscriminate bombing now and abide by the rules of war to avoid the extreme suffering of the unprotected civilian population,” said Pablo Marco, MSF’s operations manager for the Middle East.

Another activist-run group, the Local Coordination Committees, said rebels were fighting to repel government forces from the city’s largest water facility, which serves over a million people.

An official at Syria’s Foreign Ministry said the government would ensure the safety of any civilians or militants who desire to leave, saying gunmen could take their personal weapons and relocate to other rebel areas.

Russian President Vladimir Putin — a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad — said during a visit to Turkey on Monday that Moscow and Ankara want to facilitate the delivery of aid to Aleppo, but that Syrian rebels would have to withdraw from a main supply route to ensure the safety of deliveries.