Aleppo's orphans beg the world to help them get out of the besieged city so they can eat and drink

Children from an orphanage in Aleppo have begged the world to save them as evacuation efforts in the besieged city got underway today (15 December).

The video message shows a group of children huddled in front of a camera in jumpers and knitted hats pleading for an end to the violence yesterday. Yasmeen Farmouz, aged 10, spoke on behalf of the group.

This is their message: "Hi, this might be the last time you see me or hear from me. My name is Yasmeen Farmouz and I am 10-years-old. I have been living in an orphanage for the past two years, missing my mother and father.

"I am sending this message to those concerned with human rights and the rights of children and to the entire world. I hope you are watching me speak from Aleppo.

"There are 47 children here and they are all my brothers and sisters. We hope to get out of Aleppo and eat and drink. We want peace.

"We cannot leave because of the air strikes. We are scared of the air strikes and we cannot leave.

"Please get us out of Aleppo. We want to live like everyone else."

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that an operation to evacuate around 200 injured people, some critically, is underway.

However, the situation on the ground is extremely precarious as ambulances trying to evacuate people from the city's east came under fire from forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, Reuters reported. One person was killed.

Civilians and fighters had originally been scheduled to leave yesterday, but the fragile ceasefire collapsed. The shaky deal has resumed and is expected to last three days, with thousands of people being transported to the neighbouring province of Idlib, northwestern Syria.

"A humanitarian corridor has been created for the evacuation of militants," said Gen Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the Russian military's general staff. "This corridor is 21km long," he added.

"Six kilometres lie across Aleppo's territories controlled by government troops and another 15km through territories in the hands of illegal armed groups."

A day after the children's desperate plea, Jan Egeland, the UN humanitarian adviser for Syria, said: "Thousands of people are in need of evacuation, but the first and most urgent thing is wounded, sick and children, including orphans."