Damascus, Damascus Suburbs:
With blurred eyes in a pale face, and bony tiny body, Shatha had her photo taken, the photo that has been posted on social networks as a malnutrition case, a case among thousands others in the besieged Eastern Ghouta.
Shatha, the four years old girl, pale as a ghost and feeling very weak, and her body lined with folds of skin. She was taken to hospital in Ghouta when her health got way worse as the malnutrition continues, leaving two sisters at home, both suffering from the same symptoms.
A doctor in the makeshift hospital in Ghouta stated that children there barely get 1% - 2% of necessary nourishment, resulting in the large number of malnutrition cases.
In the language of numbers, a study which included 10,000 children on a period of the past twelve months showed that 100 children died out of malnutrition, while 2,000 are still suffering from it in different grades and might as well meet the same end.
Eastern Ghouta has been under a deadly siege carried out by Assad forces since 1/11/2012, where all kinds of food are not permitted in. This consumed most of the resources in towns inhabited by civilians, some items have already run out, the remaining are extremely lacking, and cannot cover the basic needs.
This brought the number of malnutrition casualties to 52 in 2015, most of them are infants and children, Muhammad Mahmoud AlSalik being the latest child to pass away last Monday in Douma.
In fact, malnutrition is only one cause of death to the children of Ghouta among others, like the lack of proper elemental materials and foods, the crazed pricing of basic needs when they are actually found, the severe drop of medication and medical supplies, in addition to immunity issues, dehydration, and the lack of baby formula, all of which are a direct result of the choking siege surrounding Ghouta.
This is also the case in the Southern districts of Damascus, where activists have documented 23 casualties of the siege since the beginning of this year, 19 of which are in Yarmouk Camp alone. The siege around the southern districts is planned and carried out by Assad checkpoints and road blocks, who deny entry to any supplies, or humanitarian aid of any kind.
Moving West to Mouaddameyyeh, the city lost four children since last February. One died for the lack of medication, and three died of malnutrition. Again, Assad forces are still clasping a deathly siege on the area.
79casualties in the past three months, spread along the east, West and South of Damascus.
79casualties of what was considered to be the deadliest weapon ever used in the war waged by Assad on Syrian people, and the most effective and dangerous, with children being the favorite victims. A weapon so primitive and brutal nothing and no one was able to drive off, target of wave away. Starvation.
Damascus Media Office
