Dramatic amateur video purporting to show Syria‘s Civil Defence workers (White Helmets) rescuing children after air strikes hit Harasta, a northeastern suburb of Damascus, was uploaded on Saturday, Dec. 30.
On Thursday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it hoped to resume evacuations of critically ill people from Syria‘s biggest remaining siege after bringing some individuals out of the area near Damascus on Wednesday.
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The evacuation, which started on Tuesday after a deal between Damascus and a rebel faction, involved letting some patients leave rebel-held eastern Ghouta in return for insurgents releasing detainees.
Last month, the United Nations called on world powers to help arrange the medical evacuation of 500 people, including 167 children, from eastern Ghouta, dubbing it a “humanitarian emergency.”
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The UN estimates 400,000 civilians have been under siege in eastern Ghouta by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.