UNICEF's representative in Syria is calling for an immediate end to the violence that has beset the northern city of Aleppo, saying UN agencies are on "standby" to deliver needed assistance, the Associated Press reports.

Hanaa Singer of the UN's children agency tells the Associated Press Saturday conditions in besieged Aleppo are "terribly dire," with hospitals hit, doctors overwhelmed, and over 100 children killed in bombings since Sept. 10.

Singer returned this week from the government-held part of Aleppo where she was visiting thousands of displaced Syrians. She said some have been displaced up to six times in the last three years.

Singer says UN plans are in place for government-held Aleppo to accommodate residents that may evacuate the besieged part of the city if a cease-fire takes effect.