Putin-ordered ‘pause’ enacted – but no civilians escape Ghouta
● UN criticises arrangement as no aid convoys can get into besieged area
A brief, Russia-ordered “humanitarian pause” went into effect yesterday as Syrian and Russian forces set up a corridor to allow civilians to leave a rebel-held enclave near Damascus – but by the end of the five-hour period, no civilians had crossed over from the embattled territory.
The lull gave a brief respite to the estimated 400,000 residents of besieged eastern Ghouta, which has been under intense attack by the Syrian government for weeks.
However, the United Nations and aid workers criticised the unilateral arrangement, saying the situation was not such that convoys could go in or people in need of medical help could come out of the enclave.
The enclave’s residents also fear their region would meet the same fate as the eastern, rebel-held half of the city of Aleppo, where a similar Russian-ordered pause in 2016 called on residents to evacuate the area and for gunmen to lay down their arms. A full ground assault followed, finally bringing Aleppo under government control.
Footage yesterday from a crossing point manned by the Syrian military between eastern Ghouta and Damascus showed preparations were under way to allow civilians to leave, including small buses waiting at a parking area. Syria’s state-run Al-ikhbariya TV said a restaurant was also set up there, but there were no signs of anyone emerging.
Russia’s state news agency, Tass, said Russian military police on the ground had set up the humanitarian corridor with the Syrian troops.
The Wafideen crossing point is near Douma, one of the largest towns in eastern Ghouta, about 12 miles from the centre of Damascus.
But a 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 mortar rounds were heard, as the journalist’s broadcast was live, some appeared to be outgoing from government areas.
The director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdurrahman, said about five shells from government areas fell on the enclave. One 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 said that residents couldn’t leave because of the shelling.
The pause, ordered by Russian president Vladimir Putin, comes as a UN ceasefire failed to take hold in eastern Ghouta.
Residents and aid groups criticise such unilateral truces for lacking international monitoring, and consensus of all the parties. 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.
She said: “This is essential so that people can leave safely, if they chose to do so. 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 UN co-ordinator for humanitarian affairs also said conditions were not conducive for any aid deliveries.
“We have reports that there is continued fighting in eastern Ghouta, so clearly the situation on the ground is not such that, for example, convoys can go in or medical evacuations can come out,” Jens Laerke said at a briefing in Geneva.
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 area.
A resolution unanimously approved by the UN Security Council for a 30-day cease-fire across Syria failed to stop the carnage in eastern Ghouta, where 500 people have been killed since last week.