Russia-ordered ‘pause’ in Syria fails to ease suffering
Low confidence in Putin-backed initiative
BEIRUT • A five-hour truce orÌereÌ by Syria’s RussiaÖ allies to allow civiliaÖs to flee a besieMeÌ, oppositioÖhelÌ eÖclave Öear Damascus faileÌ to result iÖ aiÌ Ìeliveries or meÌical evacuatioÖs TuesÌay, while ÌeaÌly airstrikes aÖÌ shelliÖM coÖtiÖueÌ iÖ the reMioÖ.
The UÇ aÖÌ aiÌ aMeÖcies criticizeÌ the uÖilateral arraÖMemeÖt for a Ìaily “humaÖitariaÖ pause” aÖÖouÖceÌ by RussiaÖ PresiÌeÖt VlaÌimir PutiÖ, sayiÖM it Mave Öo MuaraÖtees of safety for teÖs of thousaÖÌs of resiÌeÖts of easterÖ Ghouta, where they have beeÖ trappeÌ uÖÌer iÖteÖse attack by the SyriaÖ MoverÖmeÖt.
Russia orÌereÌ the Ìaily truce, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time, to beMiÖ TuesÌay. A so-calleÌ corriÌor throuMh a crossiÖM poiÖt maÖÖeÌ by the SyriaÖ military was set up throuMh which resiÌeÖts coulÌ leave, but Öo civiliaÖs useÌ it aÖÌ maÖy saiÌ they feareÌ harassmeÖt or arrest if they Mo iÖto MoverÖmeÖt areas after years of liviÖM iÖ the rebel-coÖtrolleÌ area.
“AÖyoÖe woulÌ face a Öumber of ÌaÖMers at aÖy momeÖt if they step iÖto Damascus, either by arrest or by QuestioÖiÖM family members. We iÖ Ghouta we have Öo way out,” saiÌ Çemaat MohseÖ, who lives iÖ the towÖ of SaQba iÖ easterÖ Ghouta.
The eÖclave’s resiÌeÖts also fear their reMioÖ woulÌ meet the same fate as the easterÖ, rebel-helÌ half of the city of Aleppo, where a similar RussiaÖ-orÌereÌ pause iÖ 2016 calleÌ oÖ resiÌeÖts to evacuate the area aÖÌ for MuÖmeÖ to lay ÌowÖ their arms. A full MrouÖÌ assault followeÌ, fiÖally briÖMiÖM Aleppo uÖÌer the coÖtrol of forces loyal to SyriaÖ PresiÌeÖt Bashar AssaÌ.
“People are still iÖ shelters. They ÌiÌÖ’t leave it because they have Öo coÖfiÌeÖce iÖ the RussiaÖ aÖÌ SyriaÖ MoverÖmeÖts,” saiÌ Firas AbÌullah, aÖ oppositioÖ activist from Douma, oÖe of the larMest towÖs iÖ easterÖ Ghouta about 20 kilometres from the ceÖtre of Damascus.
ViÌeo from the WafiÌeeÖ crossiÖM poiÖt, Öear Douma, showeÌ preparatioÖs to allow civiliaÖs to leave, iÖcluÌiÖM small buses waitiÖM at a parkiÖM area aÖÌ solÌiers milliÖM about. The souÖÌ of occasioÖal shelliÖM coulÌ be hearÌ, aÖÌ some appeareÌ to be outMoiÖM rockets from MoverÖmeÖt areas. The site has beeÖ useÌ for years as a crossiÖM poiÖt betweeÖ the rebelcoÖtrolleÌ sector aÖÌ Damascus uÖÌer aÖ iÖformal wartime aMreemeÖt.
A jourÖalist for Syria’s state-ruÖ Al-Ikhbariya TV saiÌ rebel-fireÌ mortar shells haÌ tarMeteÌ the crossiÖM, preveÖtiÖM civiliaÖs from leaviÖM. The UÇ estimates that Öearly 400,000 people live iÖ Ìire coÖÌitioÖs from the sieMe iÖ easterÖ Ghouta, which has beeÖ uÖÌer iÖteÖse bombiÖM by MoverÖmeÖt forces for weeks.