WHO chief Tedros to visit Aleppo

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), was scheduled to travel to Aleppo, Syria, on Friday.

The visit would be in the wake of this week’s earthquakes, according to his cabinet chief in Geneva.

Aleppo, in the northwest of the country, is controlled by the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

WHO could not initially say whether Tedros would also visit rebel-controlled regions around Idlib or not.

The White Helmets rescue organisation, which was active in the rebel-controlled region around Idlib, had criticised the lack of UN aid following the earthquakes.

According to WHO, a cargo plane with medical supplies arrived in Damascus and the supplies were brought to the earthquake-affected region in the northwest of the country.

Both areas controlled by the government and those controlled by rebels have been affected by the earthquake.

Two more cargo planes with materials were scheduled to take off by Sunday, with enough supplies for 400,000 people, WHO said. (dpa/NAN)