At least 15,000 Syrian refugees fleeing fighting in northern Aleppo province have gathered at a border crossing with Turkey, UN and Turkish officials said.
Those gathering have not been allowed to cross, but Turkey has said it has put measures in place enabling it to feed and shelter the refugees.
In the past few days, the Syrian army backed by Russian air power has made advances in Aleppo province.
Earlier, Nato accused Russia of “undermining” Syrian peace efforts.
Nato’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Russian strikes were mainly targeting opposition groups, damaging attempts to find a political solution.
Peace talks in Geneva were suspended this week amid opposition complaints that negotiations were impossible amid ongoing Syrian army operations on the ground.
According to the UN, up to 20,000 Syrians have gathered at the Bab al-Salam border crossing.
“Humanitarian organisations are responding to the needs of those displaced, but ongoing military conflict is making access to populations in need increasingly difficult,” the UN’s Linda Tom told the AFP news agency.
She said another 5,000-10,000 displaced people had gathered at Azaz, a north-western Syrian city close to the Turkish frontier.
Separately, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said 15,000 people had arrived at the border.
BBC
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