Several hundred people killed in the eastern Ghouta region of Damascus, Syria.
According to the UN 346 civilians have been killed and 878 others have been injured. The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has called for an immediate end to the hostilities and described the situation in eastern Ghouta as “hell on Earth”.
Military offensives taking place in Syria over the last few weeks has worsened the humanitarian situation. Since 2013, about 400,000 people have been living under a government-imposed siege in this region. Children make up half of the population of eastern Ghouta and they are bearing the brunt of these attacks.
Islamic Relief (IR) is working in eastern Ghouta through screened local partners. We have been supporting the besieged communities with non-food items like blankets, sheets, buckets, containers for water, cooking items, and soap. We have also been providing fuel for heating to help people deal with the bitter cold winter.
Food assistance is in process, we are supporting 1,500 families with food parcels and 1,334 families with baked bread bags. Despite the escalation of hostilities we continue to provide vital food assistance to those in need.
There has been an upsurge of airstrikes in the region. Not only have civilians been hit, but also their means of survival. Medical facilities, bakeries, warehouses, storage spaces, and anything that may hold food supplies have been damaged or destroyed.
Major roads have also been affected or destroyed, this has blocked aid delivery, rescue operations, and hindered the movement of ambulances. The available stocks of essential medicines and disposables is depleting rapidly. Access is severely limited, but we will persist in helping as much as we can.
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