The local council in the district of Daraya, rural Damascus, called on the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), permanent members of the UN Security Council, the United Nations and international organizations to intervene immediately to stop attacks by regime forces and allied foreign militias on the rebel-held district.
In a statement released on Monday, the local council appealed to the international community to take urgent action in order to stop all hostilities and indiscriminate bombardment by regime forces on the district. The council also called for immediate delivery of medical and relief aid to the civilians trapped in the district which has been under siege by regime forces for over three and a half years.
The statement called on the UN to dispatch a special commission of inquiry to investigate the use of napalm by regime forces in the bombardment of the district.
“For three consecutive days, regime forces have been bombing Daraya with napalm, an internationally prohibited incendiary weapon, with the utmost disregard for the lives of children, women and the elderly trapped inside the district,” the statement said.
Over 100 barrel bombs have hit Daraya in the past three days, according to activists in the area.
The statement also called on the UN Security Council to immediately enforce the resolutions it unanimously passed on Syria, most importantly UNSCR 2254.
“Regime forces have been violating the cessation of hostilities agreement since May 14, 2016, carrying out brutal bombardment and ground attacks on the district on a daily basis. These attacks enabled regime forces to take control of the farmlands surrounding the district, thus depriving the besieged civilian population of their only source of food. The loss of this breadbasket threatens thousands of trapped civilians with starvation as the siege enters its 1,363rd day,” the statement added.
“The regime’s ground attacks have been taking place along with heavy bombardment over the past three months. Regime forces bombed Daraya with over 1,805 barrel bombs, 729 rockets, and 30 rockets filled with napalm. The shelling with napalm, which has been escalated over the past three days, caused large fires in civilian homes. The regime bombardment has left nearly 78 civilians killed and hundreds more wounded in the past three months.” (Source: Syrian Coalition)
