Rural Damascus Provincial Council called on the international community and the United Nations to shoulder their moral and legal responsibilities towards civilians trapped in the eastern Ghouta area which is besieged by regime forces and to alleviate their suffering.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Council said that the international community and active players in Syria are obliged to take action to put an end to the crimes against humanity being committed by the Assad regime. It stressed that Russia’s use of its veto power to disrupt investigations into the Assad regime’s use of toxic gasses against civilians has encouraged Assad to commit more crimes.
The Council pointed out that regime forces have being bombing towns and villages of eastern Ghouta with internationally banned weapons such as cluster bombs and the white phosphorus gases for over a week. The attacks claimed the lives of dozens of civilians, including children and women.
In a similar vein, the local council in the town of Kafarbatna in eastern Ghouta on Wednesday called upon humanitarian organizations and international institutions to “intervene immediately to stop the Assad regime’s crimes against civilians in the area.”
Furthermore, the local council in the town of Harasta east of the capital Damascus urged humanitarian organizations and friendly countries of the Syrian people to ratchet up pressure on the Assad regime and its Russian ally to stop their onslaught on eastern Ghouta.
Eastern Ghouta has been subjected to years-long, suffocating siege by the Assad regime forces though the area is covered by the ‘de-escalation zones’ agreement.
The area is included in the ‘de-escalation zones’ agreement which was reached during the Astana talks. The agreement called for the lifting of the sieges; the introduction of humanitarian aid without any impediments or taxes, the opening of safe passages for civilians; and the release of detainees held by parties to the agreement. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
