The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for an immediate end to the hostilities in Syria and access for humanitarian aid, as fighting continues to rage in Aleppo between the Syrian government and opposition forces.
The resolution was passed 122 votes to 13 as the Syrian army grew closer to recapturing east Aleppo, in a massive offensive that has Russian backing.
"This is a vote to stand up and tell Russia and Assad to stop the carnage," said US Ambassador Samantha Power.
Canada’s Ambassador to the UN Marc-Andre Blanchard said the resolution is "a reminder that above all else the lives of the Syrian people should be our priority”. They are our priority and the world will not stay silent while they suffer without assistance," he added.
The move comes as the UN special envoy for Syria said that "We are at the last steps of the battle for Aleppo...this is likely to end very soon". The Syrian army has captured some 85% of opposition held territory in the city in the offensive.
"But that's not the end of the war, that's the end of the battle for Aleppo,” added Staffan de Mistura in an interview with the BBC, and called for "a serious discussion about the future political set-up of Syria".
Meanwhile US Secretary of State John Kerry said his government would be engaging in further talks to stop Aleppo "being absolutely, completely destroyed”.
"I know people are tired of these meetings, I'm tired of these meetings,” he added.
"But what am I supposed to do? Go home and have a nice weekend in Massachusetts, while people are dying? Sit there in Washington and do nothing?"
See more from the BBC here and Reuters here.