A Russia-ordered “humanitarian pause” has gone into effect to allow civilians to leave a rebel-held enclave near Damascus, giving a brief respite to the residents of the besieged area that has been under intense attack by the Syrian government for weeks.
Syria’s state-run al-Ikhbariya TV broadcast footage from a crossing point manned by the Syrian military between eastern Ghouta and Damascus, saying preparations were under way to allow civilians to leave, including medical cars.
The Wafideen crossing point is near Douma, one of the largest towns in eastern Ghouta, only a few kilometers from Damascus. The station showed small buses waiting at a parking area, but there were no signs of anyone coming out of the enclave.
Photo: AFP
Al-Ikhbariya’s journalist on the ground said mortar shells had targeted the crossing, preventing civilians from leaving.
The five-hour humanitarian pause ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin comes as a UN ceasefire failed to take hold in eastern Ghouta, and residents and aid groups said such unilateral pauses are not internationally monitored.
The enclave’s residents fear they could face harassment and possibly arrest if they go into government areas, after years of living in the rebel-held enclave.
International Committee of the Red Cross spokeswoman Ingy Sedky said humanitarian corridors need to be well planned and must be implemented with the consent of parties on all sides.
“This is essential so that people can leave safely, if they chose to do so,” she said. “And for those who decide to leave, all measure should be taken to provide assistance, protection and shelter to them, and those who remain must be protected from any attacks.”
A weekend resolution unanimously approved by the UN Security Council for a 30-day ceasefire across Syria failed to stop the carnage in eastern Ghouta, where more than 500 people have been killed since last week.
Rami Aburrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said violence has dramatically declined in eastern Ghouta overnight, but reported a number of shells yesterday morning. It was not immediately clear where they landed or who fired them, Abdurrahman said.
Douma activist Firas Abdullah said a bomb landed in the town after the pause began, as well as three ground missiles.
Civilians caught in the violence have mocked Putin’s order, saying it gives only a couple of hours of calm before violence resumes.
The Army of Islam, the largest insurgent group in Ghouta, said the pauses circumvent the UN resolution.
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