18:47
Tieng Anh Vui
Syrian doctor describes the worsening humanitarian situation in Qusair
The Red Cross has expressed alarm over the situation in the besieged Syrian town of Qusair, and has appealed for immediate access to deliver aid.
Thousands of civilians are believed to be trapped in the town, which lies close to the border with Lebanon.
The battle for control between pro-government forces and rebel fighters has made medical supplies, food and water scarce, the Red Cross says.
The UN has also appealed to the warring parties to allow residents to flee.
One opposition activist told the BBC on Friday that around 30,000 civilians were still in the town. However, these figures cannot be independently verified.
Rebel-held parts of Qusair are effectively blockaded by government forces and Hezbollah fighters.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement it was "alarmed" by reports of civilians trapped in Qusair and was prepared to enter the town immediately to deliver aid.
"Civilians and the wounded are at risk of paying an even heavier price as the fighting continues," said the head of the ICRC's operations in the region, Robert Mardini.
The BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva says the fact that both the UN and ICRC have issued urgent statements at the same time is an indication of how desperate they believe the situation has become.
'Declaration of alarm'
Meanwhile, Russia has blocked a draft UN Security Council "declaration of alarm" over Qusair that voices "grave concern" about the situation, Reuters news agency reports.
Council statements such as these must be agreed unanimously.
A Russian diplomat speaking on the condition of anonymity said it blocked the draft text because "it was not advisable to speak out as the UN Security Council didn't know when Qusair was taken by the opposition".
Fighting in Qusair intensified last month with militants from Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese group, joining forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.
Reinforcements from the rebel Free Syrian Army are reported to have managed to break through from the north-east to support the embattled rebel fighters.
Some Lebanese Sunnis have also crossed into Syria to fight alongside the rebels, who are drawn largely from Syria's majority Sunni community.
Activists from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights say rebels are bracing themselves for a fresh assault.
Qusair, which lies 10 km south-west of the Lebanese border, is considered a key logistical hub and supply route for weapons smuggled into Syria.
The town is also located near the main road connecting the city of Homs to the Syrian capital Damascus.
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