Life in Syria grows more deadly daily

Children die as food is hoarded

SYRIAN opposition activists say malnutrition and medicine shortages are increasing the suffering in besieged, rebel-held eastern suburbs of the Syrian capital, Damascus, adding that two children have died in the past two months as a result.

The activists blame the malnutrition, mostly among children, on a four-year government siege and greed by local businessmen who hoard food and medical products in order to raise the prices.

The crisis in the suburbs, also known as eastern Ghouta, has worsened since May after government forces seized the Qaboun and Barzeh neighbourhoods in northeast Damascus. The two neighbourhoods were hubs for smuggling supplies into the Ghouta region through tunnels.

International aid organisations have been sending food to Ghouta, home to tens of thousands, but the last convoy entered more than a month ago.

Rami Abdurrahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the main reason behind the suffering is the government siege, adding that there are businessmen who are taking advantage of the food shortage.

Ahmad Khansour, a Ghoutabased opposition activist, said via text messages that high prices are far beyond people’s reach, saying 1kg of sugar is selling for up to $12 (R165), while 1kg of rice sells for nearly $5. He said the average family’s monthly income was about $100.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says an operation to implement a “de-escalation” zone in Syria’s northern Idlib province is “to a great extent complete”.

Addressing legislators from his ruling party in parliament yesterday, Erdogan suggested that Turkish troops could now target Syria’s border region of Afrin, which is controlled by Syrian Kurdish groups.

Turkey considers the Syrian militia to be terrorists because of their links to Kurdish rebels fighting Turkey.

“We have the issue of Afrin ahead of us,” Erdogan said. “We cannot make any concessions. As we have said before, we may arrive suddenly one night, we may hit (them) suddenly one night.”

Turkey sent troops into Syria earlier this month to set up “observation posts” in the border province that is dominated by al-Qaeda-linked militants as part of a deal reached with Russia and Iran.

Syria’s state TV says planes from the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State (IS) have bombed a government-controlled neighbourhood in the eastern city of Deir el-Zour, killing 14 civilians.

US military spokesman Colonel Ryan Dillon denied the report in a tweet, saying the coalition has not bombed the city, of which IS currently controls a small part, since September.

The SOHR said a Monday night air strike killed 22, adding that the identity of the planes was not immediately clear.

Syrian troops have been moving against IS in eastern Syria under the cover of Russian air strikes.

Last year, the US-led coalition bombed Syrian army positions near Deir el-Zour, killing at least 62 Syrian soldiers and leaving more than 100 wounded.

Russia’s defence minister says less than 5% of Syria remains under the control of IS.

At the height of the rise of IS, the militants controlled about half of Syria before their downfall began.

Speaking at a conference in the Philippines yesterday, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said “terrorists” controlled more than 70% of the country before Russia launched its air operation at the end of 2015 to support President Bashar al-Assad’s offensive against IS militants and opposition forces.

Russian air strikes destroyed more than 900 training camps and a great deal of heavy weaponry, he claimed.

In recent weeks Russia has focused its efforts on the east of the country.

There a race under way between US-backed Syrian forces and government troops in oil-rich Deir el-Zour. – AP