As the Assad regime maintains its stranglehold on a besieged Damascus suburb, allies in Russia and adversaries in Turkey are considering plans to evacuate hundreds of civilians caught in a growing humanitarian crisis.Moscow and Ankara are discussing the relocation of hundreds of people from Eastern Ghouta, Turkey’s President said, according to Russian and Turkish news reports.
The beleaguered suburban enclave of 400,000 near the Syrian capital is at a "critical point," says the International Committee of the Red Cross, with reports of malnourished children and sick and injured people being trapped.
Various rebel groups control Eastern Ghouta, and the suburb has been surrounded by regime forces for more than four years. Eastern Ghouta is part of four de-escalation zones negotiated by the Russian, Iranian and Turkish governments in May.
In theory, residents in the area should be in a safe zone free from airstrikes, shelling and fighting. But they have suffered from both a lengthy siege and continued bombardment.
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