In Syria, the chaotic evacuation of eastern Aleppo continues, amid ongoing fighting punctuated by a series of short-lived ceasefires. This morning, the Syrian Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets, says a civilian evacuation convoy was attacked by Syrian government forces, killing one person and wounding at least four more, including a medical worker. On Wednesday, the Syrian Army and its Russian ally resumed shelling and airstrikes against eastern Aleppo, despite a ceasefire. This is a spokesperson for the U.N. secretary-general.

Stéphane Dujarric: “The U.N. is deeply concerned by reports of fighting in Aleppo today despite the announcement of a ceasefire agreement last night. Any continued fighting leaves thousands of civilians in the direct line of fire. The safety and security of tens of thousands of men, women and children still trapped in eastern Aleppo remains precarious. We urgently call for a pause in fighting to allow people who wish to leave safely the besieged eastern Aleppo for a destination of their choice.”

The ongoing fall of Aleppo is considered a decisive battle in the ongoing Syrian civil war, and it comes after eastern Aleppo has been besieged and bombarded for months by government forces and Russian airstrikes. Anti-government activists have called the fall of Aleppo “doomsday,” while Russia has described it as victory against terrorists and jihadists. The battle has been marked by increasingly polarized coverage, with propaganda on both sides. On Wednesday, the Syrian ambassador to the United Nations was accused of lying to the U.N. Security Council during a recent emergency meeting by showing a photo he falsely claimed depicted a Syrian soldier helping a female civilian in Aleppo. In fact, the photo was taken in Fallujah and shows an Iraqi soldier helping an Iraqi woman in June 2016. Meanwhile, in Sarajevo, hundreds of survivors of the years-old siege of the city in the 1990s gathered Wednesday in solidarity with the civilians of Aleppo.

Franjo Topic: “We know how it feels to be abandoned and forgotten. We remember how it is when there are no replies to the screams for help. So today we stand united with Aleppo, Syria, and all other towns where people suffer.”

More than 10,000 people died during the 1,400-day siege of Sarajevo. It was the longest siege in modern history.