Eastern Ghouta is currently living through a five-hour period of peace after Russia ordered a “humanitarian pause” to allow civilians to escape from the area.
This “humanitarian pause” which was announced by the Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu is just further proof of the Russian involvement in the Syrian conflict and their backing of Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
Eastern Ghouta has in the past week experienced the deadliest attack in the whole of the seven-year Syrian conflict. The area is held by rebel forces and has been under fierce airstrikes and artillery attacks by Bashar al-Assad’s Russian and Iranian backed government forces. It is estimated that around 500 people have been killed in the past five days.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights have confirmed that things have been quite quiet since midnight.
A resolution for a one-month ceasefire across Syria was passed by the UN Security Council last Friday. The Russians response of a five-hour humanitarian respite was probably triggered by the wave of international condemnation of the violence.
“Five hours is better than no hours, but we would like to see an end to all hostilities extended by 30 days, as stipulated by the security council,” said Stéphane Dujarric, a UN spokesperson.
> Naomi Round
Russia Orders "Humanitarian Pause" in Eastern Ghouta
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