What is happening in Eastern Ghouta, a rebel enclave in Syria that is the target of airstrikes and shelling by government forces, asks the BBC, which explains that the Syrian army, backed by Russia, intensified its attacks on this enclave on Sunday evening.
What it looks like was explained by a resident of that suburb of Damascus, Firas Abdullah, who told the BBC that the situation is terrifying.
"We have nowhere to hide, we constantly hear bombs, screaming women and children. Bombs and corpses are falling on us like rain. We have nowhere to escape from this nightmare, and it's not over yet," Abdullah told the BBC, as reported by B92. .
The BBC also writes that 50 children were killed in the latest offensive on Eastern Ghouta, and over 1.200 people were injured. The UN has called for a ceasefire so that humanitarian organizations can reach the injured and evacuate them.
The BBC also states that Eastern Ghouta is under the control of two Islamist factions.
The UN Secretary General is worried
The Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) Antonio Guterres said that he is deeply concerned about the escalation of violence in Eastern Ghouta,
"The Secretary General is deeply concerned about the worsening situation in Eastern Ghouta and the catastrophic impact it is having on civilians," UN spokesman Stefan Dižarik said last night.
Yesterday, 106 civilians were killed in airstrikes by Syrian and Russian forces on the rebel enclave near Damascus, the Syrian opposition Observatory for Human Rights said. According to the same source, 127 civilians were killed on Monday.
The UN Secretary General called on all parties to respect the basic principles of humanitarian law, especially the protection of civilians during armed conflicts, his spokesman said.
"Nearly 400.000 people in Eastern Ghouta are being targeted by airstrikes and shelling," said a spokesman for the Secretary-General.
Residents of Eastern Ghouta who are under siege by Syrian government forces live in extremely difficult conditions with insufficient food, he added.
He reminded that Russia, Iran and Turkey, the countries involved in the Syrian conflict, declared Eastern Ghouta a de-escalation zone, and that they undertook to respect it.
Negotiations continue in the UN Security Council on a draft resolution that envisages a thirty-day ceasefire to enable the delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave and the evacuation of the wounded.
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