Civilians in Eastern Ghouta manage to flee through humanitarian corridor for first time
At least two children managed to leave the city through the humanitarian corridor at night
EASTERN GHOUTA (Syria), March 2. /TASS/. Two children left Eastern Ghouta through the humanitarian corridor overnight to March 2 as the Syrian government troops provided for meeting and protecting them, Representative of the Center for the Reconciliation of the Warring Sides in Syria Major-General Vladimir Zolotukhin said on Friday.
"At 00:25 at night, two children [a boy and a girl] managed to leave through the humanitarian corridor. The Syrian servicemen on duty at the checkpoint spotted their movement in advance and managed to provide for meeting and protecting them because the militants delivered fire on the children from small arms. Now medics and psychologists are working with them [the children]," the general said.
So far, no mass outflow of local residents from the enclave is observed as illegal armed formations are not complying with the ceasefire, he added.
The hotline of the Reconciliation Centre in Damascus continues to receive a large number of messages from Eastern Ghouta residents.
Disruption of humanitarian pauses
On instructions from Russian President Vladimir Putin daily humanitarian pauses were introduced in Eastern Ghouta (a suburb of Damascus) from 09:00 to 14:00 local time starting from February 27. During the first three days, the humanitarian pauses were disrupted by militants.
As the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of the Warring Sides reported, the terrorists numerously shelled the corridor intended for the exit of civilians from that area and are also keeping hostage the population in their controlled Eastern Ghouta, threatening to punish those wishing to leave.