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Conflict in Syria

Over 153,000 Syrians leave Eastern Ghouta since humanitarian pauses come into effect

According to Russian center for reconciliation, one hundred civilians used the al-Wafedin humanitarian corridor to leave Eastern Ghouta on Sunday

© Ghouta Media Center via AP

MOSCOW, April 1. /TASS/. More than 153,000 people have left Eastern Ghouta, including more than 29,000 via a humanitarian corridor in the settlement of Muhayam al-Wafedin, since humanitarian pauses came into effect, chief of the Russian center for reconciliation of the warring parties in Syria Yuri Yevtushenko said on Sunday.

"Overall, the exit of over 153,240 people has been organized from Eastern Ghouta since the opening of humanitarian pauses with the assistance of the Russian reconciliation center," he said.

According to Yevtushenko, one hundred civilians used the al-Wafedin humanitarian corridor to leave Eastern Ghouta on Sunday. Since the opening of this corridor, a total of 29,330 people have used it to leave the enclave. "Moreover, from today this humanitarian corridor is open not only for civilians leaving the town of Douma but also for militants from illegal armed groups and their families," he said.

Following United Nations Security Council Resolution 2401 of February 24 calling to stop hostilities in Syria, daily humanitarian pause have been in effect at Russia’s initiative in Syria’s Eastern Ghouta since February 27. They are aimed at providing civilians and unarmed militants with an opportunity to leave the area. Militants disrupted humanitarian pauses in the first several days, but later on shelling incident ceased, so civilians have been leaving the enclave through the humanitarian corridor every day.

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