A UN agency says nearly 500,000 children in Syria are living in areas under siege, almost completely cut off from sustained humanitarian aid and basic services.

UNICEF said that the number of such children has doubled in less than a year, as fighting between government and rebel forces has intensified.
It said the children live in 16 besieged areas across the country.

The agency said that some communities have received little or no aid in nearly 2 years.

The UN and other organizations remain unable to deliver food or medical supplies to areas controlled by government forces, including the eastern part of Aleppo, where fierce fighting continues.

The agency calls on all parties to lift the sieges across Syria to allow and facilitate immediate, unconditional and sustained humanitarian access to all areas.