At least 246 people, including 73 children, have been killed in five days of Syrian army barrel bombing of rebel-held held areas of second city Aleppo, an NGO said Thursday.

The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland has arrived in the Ukrainian capital to try to help find a resolution to the protests and political crisis that have gripped the country for more than two months.

The United Nations and Syria have reached a deal to allow civilians to leave areas of Homs under army siege for more than 18 months, the provincial governor said Feb. 5.