More than 7,000 civilians evacuated from Aleppo: Turkish FM

More than 7,000 civilians have been evacuated from Syria's besieged city of Aleppo in the first five convoys, as part of a ceasefire and evacuation deal reached by the efforts of Turkey and Russia, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said on Dec.16 on his official Twitter account.  

Meanwhile, close to 8,000 civilians have been evacuated from Aleppo with a sixth convoy currently "en route to safety," a Turkish official said, according to Reuters. 

Private broadcaster CNN Türk also said that a sixth convoy, which is comprised of 20 ambulances and 13 buses, had hit the road to safer areas inside the country. 

The report said that each convoy carried between 1,000 to 1,200 people, while also adding that heavy construction equipment had crossed the border from Turkey to Syria, where they are expected to help set up new tents for the incoming displaced people.
 
The head of the Turkish Red Crescent, Kerem Kınık, told reporters on Dec. 16 that preparations to receive civilians evacuated from war-torn Aleppo had been completed and that the wounded would be the first to be transferred to Turkey.

CNN Türk said more than 50 wounded Syrians had been brought to Turkey for treatment. 

The evacuation, from the last rebel bastion in Aleppo, began on Dec. 14, amid diplomatic efforts by Turkey and Russia and concerns over the implementation of a cease-fire that would end years of fighting in the city. 

The International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) said the evacuation of rebels and civilians in Aleppo is likely to take several days.