Aleppo, once a culturally vibrant metropolis, is now "one giant graveyard." 

Once the historical beacon of human arts and progress, it is now the most blatant proof of humanity's failure. 

You've all heard the news, but here's a round-up to give you an idea of the sheer scale of the atrocities committed by a brutal Russian and Syrian government offensive. 

1. Wounded children in Aleppo are getting surgeries without anesthesia

All hospitals in Aleppo have been shuttered, leaving no operational medical facility in place to treat the hundreds wounded. This has ultimately forced wounded individuals to resort to treatment without anesthesia. 

 "They are having to do operations on children without anesthetics," Caroline Anning from Save the Children told BuzzFeed. 

"One doctor told us five children died in his care because he didn’t have enough ventilators to go between them."

More than 750 doctors have died since the start of the war. 

"You don't just kill one doctor, you kill all his future patients," said John Kahler, who volunteered at Aleppo's M2 children's hospital at the end of June, according to NBC News.

2. Aleppo could witness the 'worst massacre' since World War 2

Aleppo has been the epicenter of the Syrian civil war, which is currently in its sixth year now. 

The city could witness the "biggest massacre" since the World War II, a UN diplomat warns.  

"France and its partners cannot remain silent in the face of what could be one of the biggest massacres of civilian population since World War II," warned Francois Delattre, French UN ambassador, ahead of a UN Security Council meeting in New York, according to The Independent.

400,000 civilians have died since the start of the Syrian civil war. 

3. UN's humanitarian chief says Eastern Aleppo is turning into "one giant graveyard"

More than 250,000 civilians are trapped in eastern Aleppo, under heavy bombardment by Russian and Syrian government forces to root out rebels from the area. 

“For the sake of humanity, we call on, we plead, with the parties, and those with influence, to do everything in their power to protect civilians and enable access to the besieged part of eastern Aleppo before it becomes one giant graveyard,” said Stephen O’Brien, the Under-Secretary-General for humanitarian affairs at the United Nations. 

He described the area as the "apex of horror." 

4. Tens of thousands have been displaced in just four days

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that more than 50,000 civilians have been displaced by attacks on rebel-held eastern Aleppo in four days towards the end of November, according to Yahoo News.

The International Committee of the Red Cross says around 20,000 people have fled. 

5. Amid the destruction, a source of children's laughter is also killed

Anas al-Basha and his goofy ways made children in Aleppo forget about the war, even if it was just for a few seconds. 

The 24-year-old was a center director at Space for Hope, a local initiative providing civil society services to the war-stricken city. 

He used to dress up as a clown and joker to lighten things up for the hundreds of children in Aleppo who have been traumatized by continuous bombings and airstrikes. 

“He would act out skits for the children to break the walls between them,” Samar Hijazi, a supervisor at Space for Hope, told the AP

“All of us in this field [of childcare] are exhausted, and we have to find strength to provide psychological support and continue with our work.”

Al-Basha was killed on November 29 in the Mashhad neighborhood in eastern Aleppo. 

6. Major historic sites in the ancient city have been destroyed

Source: Wikipedia

Aleppo's historic sites have witnessed considerable damage since the start of the battle. These are:

1. Al Madina Souq

Part of the ancient city of Aleppo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986, Al Madina Souq is the largest covered historic market in the world, stretching about 13 kilometers. Many sections of the souq were destroyed, ruined or burnt as a result of fighting between the Free Syrian Army and the Syrian Armed Forces.

2. Great Mosque of Aleppo

This World Heritage Site is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the city of Aleppo, located in al-Jalloum district. The mosque was built in the beginning of the 8th century. The minaret was built in 1090 but has been renovated throughout the years. In 2012, the mosque was damaged during clashes between the Free Syrian Army and the Syrian Armed Forces. The minaret was destroyed during the war in April of 2013.

3. Citadel of Aleppo

One of the oldest and largest castles in the world, this large palace in the old city of Aleppo goes way back, having been occupied by many civilizations including the Greeks, Byzantines, Ayyubids and Mamluks. The Citadel was severely damaged in 2012 during the Battle of Aleppo. The external gate of the citadel was damaged after being shelled during a clash between the Free Syrian Army and the Syrian Army. In 2015, a bomb went off in a tunnel under one of the outer walls, causing even further damage.