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Syrian children and adults receive treatment for a suspected chemical attack at a makeshift clinic on the rebel-held village of al-Shifuniyah in the Eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascus late on Sunday. Photo: AFP

With hundreds of civilians dead, Russia agrees to daily five-hour truce in battered Syrian enclave

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 the enclave, known as eastern Ghouta, and Damascus, saying preparations were under way to allow civilians to leave, including those in medical vehicles. The channel said a restaurant was also set up there.

Russia’s state news agency Tass said Russian military police on the ground have set up the humanitarian corridor with the Syrian troops.

The Wafideen crossing point is near Douma, one of the largest towns in eastern Ghouta, and is about 20km (12 miles) from the centre of Damascus. The channel showed small buses waiting at a parking area, but there were no signs of anyone coming out of the enclave.

Al-Ikhbariya’s journalist on the ground said mortar shells had targeted the crossing, preventing civilians from leaving. It was not immediately possible to verify the claim. A least a couple of mortars were heard as the broadcast was live, some appeared to be outgoing from government areas.

Syrians walk past destroyed buildings in Arbin in the rebel-held enclave of Eastern Ghouta on Sunday. Photo: AFP

The director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdurrahman, said about five shells from government areas fell on the enclave. One shell fell in an area where the government had began a ground offensive, and it was not clear if it was fired by the government or the rebels.

Russian General Viktor Pankov told Tass that residents cannot leave because of the shelling.

The Russian five-hour humanitarian pause, ordered by President Vladimir Putin, came after a UN ceasefire failed to take hold in eastern Ghouta.

Ingy Sedky, spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, 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.”

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.

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.

A man is seen near a damaged building in the besieged town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta, on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

At least 34 people were killed on Monday by air strikes and shelling, according to the Syrian Observatory. Rami Aburrahman from the group said violence has dramatically declined in eastern Ghouta overnight but reported a number of shells on Tuesday morning.

It was not clear where they landed or who fired them, Abdurrahman said.

Firas Abdullah, a Douma activist, said a bomb landed in the town after the pause began, as well as three ground missiles.

The Army of Islam, which is the largest insurgent group in Ghouta, said the Russia-ordered pauses circumvents the UN resolution.

Abu Ammar Dalwan, a member of the Army of Islam in Ghouta, said government shelling continued after the ceasefire and helicopters were flying overhead. He denied his group was shelling the Wafideen corridor.

Dalwan said Ghouta residents had decided to stay following years of violence, even though they had the option of leaving through tunnels which were operational until the recent assault began.

Dalwan said evacuating people under the threat of shelling amounted to a war crime. “We want the international community to stop such a war crime,” he said.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Russia-ordered ‘pause’ in fighting fails to draw civilians
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