Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Darrayya on the Verge of Disaster Should Aid Not Arrive Soon | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Women and children gathered in a campaign protest under the name (Save the Children of Darrayya),Asharq Al-Awsat


Women and children gathered in a campaign protest under the name (Save the Children of Darrayya),Asharq Al-Awsat

Women and children gathered in a campaign protest under the name (Save the Children of Darrayya),Asharq Al-Awsat

Moscow- Meanwhile delegations and representatives are preparing for resuming the Syrian crisis Geneva peace talks, some areas in the war-torn country are undergoing severe humanitarian deteriorating circumstances. Among those cities deeply ravaged by the civil war is the city of Darayya located in the western Ghouta of Damascus. For four years now, Darayya has persistently bore ongoing bombardment and besiegement.

Local Darrayya media office board member Shadi Mattar told Asharq Al-Awsat that the humanitarian situation in the city is far gone into the danger-zone, “city civilians suffer severe deficiency of nutrition, relief resources and medical aid,” Mattar said.

“Despite ceasefire being completely implemented on both sides, no humanitarian aid or relief has entered the zone,” he added.

As for the rumors spreading about calls being established with factions of the Free Syrian Army in Darrayya for reconciliation, Mattar commented that the people are constantly receiving hearsay on the subject yet nothing has been realized so far. No contact has been made with the Russians or the Syrian regime regarding a local truce. “Any agreement is in the hand of the executive local council,” Mattar added.

The people of Darrayya are hanging their hopes on the negotiations and are anticipating an honorable solution that will end the ongoing torment Syrians are suffering from the war. They are also looking forward to the freeing of those held captive, lifting off barricades, and permitting humanitarian relief to get into the 8300-civillian inhabited city.

“Throughout the course of three years and a half, none of the humanitarian aid organizations or support convoys made their way into the city,” Mattar said.

Mattar also snubbed any attempts on accusing the Syrian Opposition factions in Darrayya for belonging to extremist groups. Instead he confirmed that all those who consider themselves concerned with the Syrian crisis are aware of the nonviolent approach Darrayya has adopted since the beginning of the revolution. The Opposition centered in Darrayya has its lines organized and doesn’t harbor any extremists, Mattar added.

Darrayya is considered to be one of the very few cities who have raised the flag of revolution solely. Mattar clarified that “Darrayya was the first to form a civil council in 2012, and that the civil council is the body responsible for monitoring armed actions in the city.

“A military office within the local council’s office is represented by the “Islamic Martyrs Brigade”, which is a part of the southern fronts’ formations of the Free Syrian Army.”

On the other hand, Office Director of the public affairs department of the Darrayya local civil council, Ibrahim Kholani confirmed that the Free Syrian Army has kept its end on the ceasefire implementation. He pointed fingers against the violations committed by the Syrian regime and the sectarian militias fighting side-by-side with it, who have fired-off rounds of bullets in multiple occasions.

Kholani warned that even though the bombardment has practically seized, some militias and Syrian regime forces are reinforcing their positions on battlefronts in Darrayya, digging military ditches, and moving around vehicles. All the aforesaid preparations are considered prohibited violations to the Russian-American arranged ceasefire.