Moadamyeh is located west of Damascus city in East Ghouta, administratively affiliated to Darya district of Damascus countryside, the current population is 12 thousand people.
Bounded on the North by three regiments of the 4th Division and from the South-East of the Palestinian organization’s camp of the regime’s army, from West officers’ housing, Saraya Al-Sira’ brigades and Yusuf al-‘Azma barrack of regime’s forces, and East Mezzeh military airport.
Location map:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=33.461127,36.19222&num=1&t=h&z=15
The siege began on 18/11/2012, when Government forces surrounded the city on all sides by military checkpoints and military armored vehicles, and surrounded the entrance of the city and the main roads of about 20 checkpoints of 4th Division and Air Force Intelligence backed by tanks t-72 and t-82, and ZSU-23-4 "Shilka.
The report includes three testimonies of Moadamyeh residents including a doctor
.
Testimony of Dr. Omar Alhakim, works in Moadamyeh medical centre:
"The city has been severely suppressed by the security forces and militiamen since the beginning of the peaceful protests, about 10 months after FSA fend off the repeated regime’s forces attempt to storm the town, they imposed sever siege, the humanitarian situation has deteriorated , where we suffer from running out the food supplies in the city; nothing lefts for the residents to eat only plants, the city is totally empty from food, there are approximately 12,000 civilians trapped since 10 months including 7 thousand children and women, Electricity cut off from 10 months, flour is missing from 7 months, dry bread missing from 5 months, and now all Foodstuffs run out.
In addition to losing the entire medical substances, treatment the injuries with primitive tools and materials intended for one use by using them for several times, Drugs are almost non-existent, and antibiotic medications are only given one pill to a patient in extreme necessity conditions, the city is now at the gates of a real humanitarian disaster "
You can communicate with the witness by Skype account:
mohanad198938
Testimony of Mahmoud Abo Ali resident in Moadamyeh:
" The city is suffering from scarcity of all food materials, medical, drugs, and fuel, in addition to the heavy and daily shelling on the city, the regime also used chemical weapon, the people of this city have been exposed to different type of death, even starvation, recently 7 children died as a result of hunger, adding to cut off electricity, water and connections".
You can communicate with the witness by Skype account: mrkazmoadamiaalsham
Testimony of Amir Almoadamani ,resident in Moadamyeh:
"Hospitals and Dispensaries are totally destroyed, almost 80% of schools and mosques are destroyed, and some razed to the ground, houses have not been spared of shelling, where 75% of the city has destroyed, hunger totally dominate the area, regime’s forces prevented the entry of food, medicines and fuel, tragedies in Moadamyeh greater than from being counted in numbers"
You can communicate with the witness by Skype account:
Adsport19821
The Syrian Government has blocked entry of food, bread and flour, medicine, baby milk, and fuel, in a policy to starve the resident, as the so-called "people’s committees (militiamen)" prevent the entrance of United Nations assistance to the region, leading to the fully closure of markets.
SNHR documented the kill of 11 residents, cause of the lack of food and medical supplies including 10 children, the following link contain names, photos, and other victim’s details:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bu2UHeQ4xly4cBdVWaF3id8Z3eDJv5gy9aQ4K7nArNE/edit?usp=sharing
In addition to fully cut off electricity, water and connections in the city by Syrian Government, Government Forces also by daily shelling using various types of weapons destroyed 50% of the residential buildings in full, shelling often targeted public facilities (hospitals, schools, mosques, and clinics).
In addition to shelling the city by chemical weapons on 21/8/2013
Medical Situation:
All of the hospitals, dispensaries, and medical centers were shelled, caused to stop work them totally, except two small medical centers with five doctors and 40 nurses, suffer from shortage in medical materials, which led to some manufactured equipments for use once, to be used several times after sterilization, and this caused exacerbation of injured conditions, amputated infected parts, and stop treating other wounded.
Educational status:
In Moadamyah 22 schools are all close, 15 of them are totally destroyed cause of shelling by government forces, the rest is extensively damaged which led to make them out of service and totally stopped working.
Photo of school on 1/3/2013
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Drt3lncQFuE
11 mosques in the city, large parts of them destroyed cause of shelling.
Photo of Omari mosque on 14/8/2013:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9Bj18tlYYKBWXJGUWhaellRMzA/edit?usp=sharing
According to customary international humanitarian law:
Rule 53. The use of starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare is prohibited.
Rule 54. Attacking, destroying, removing or rendering useless objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population is prohibited.
Rule 55. The parties to the conflict must allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need, which is impartial in character and conducted without any adverse distinction, subject to their right of control.
Rule 56. The parties to the conflict must ensure the freedom of movement of authorized humanitarian relief personnel essential to the exercise of their functions. Only in case of imperative military necessity may their movements be temporarily restricted.
SNHR condemn this terrible siege and hold the responsibility to the Syrian government, which considered as war crime and policy of systematic punishment in various areas so it is crime against humanity.
Recommendations:
Security Council :
– Pressure on the Syrian to allow the delivery of humanitarian assistance across all borders.
support the efforts of the United Nations for coordination and delivery of humanitarian assistance to all in need, including areas controlled by the opposition.
To concerned Governments and intergovernmental organizations:
– Call the Syrian Government and the armed opposition to implement the above mentioned recommendations.
– Respond more effectively to the humanitarian crisis where millions of Syrians are facing a severe shortfall of food, shelter, fuel, health care and education, by increasing the supply of humanitarian assistance to the affected people in Syria, both in areas controlled by the opposition or the Government, as well as the provision of assistance to internally displaced persons and refugees.
– Urged the members of the Security Council to clearly ask Syrian regime to allow cross-border humanitarian aid, and practice public pressure on Syrian regime to deliver aid operations across the border.
– Expansion in the quantity and frequency of cross-border humanitarian aid by all donors who can implement the aid deliveries, which are often the only source of hundreds of thousands of families.
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Syrian Network for Human Rights – London
Website: www.syrianhr.org
Email: press@syrianhr.org
Skype: Syrianhr
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