U.N. humanitarian adviser for Syria Jan Egeland said on Thursday that he was hopeful about the evacuation of thousands of civilians from eastern Aleppo but that Russia had only just asked for U.N. involvement, which was very late.

"We are now receiving information from the Russians that they would indeed want us to participate in the evacuation, but confirmation only seems to come now, this morning, which is very late, because it is already ongoing and there have already been security incidences," Egeland told Reuters.

"Thousands of people are in need of evacuation, but the first and most urgent thing is wounded, sick and children, including orphans," he said. "I am really hopeful because it's long, long overdue."

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