19th Convoy Arrives in Syria's Aleppo from Douma

Published April 13th, 2018 - 11:08 GMT
A convoy transporting Jaish al-Islam fighters and their families from the former bastion's main town of Douma arrives at the entrance to the northern Syrian city of Aleppo after being evacuated from the last rebel-held pocket in Eastern Ghouta on Apr. 3, 2018. 
(George OURFALIAN / AFP)
A convoy transporting Jaish al-Islam fighters and their families from the former bastion's main town of Douma arrives at the entrance to the northern Syrian city of Aleppo after being evacuated from the last rebel-held pocket in Eastern Ghouta on Apr. 3, 2018. (George OURFALIAN / AFP)

A 19th convoy carrying civilians and opposition fighters from the city of Douma in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta arrived in Aleppo's Al-Bab district on Friday.

The 38-bus convoy carried 1,477 people, including 583 children and 353 women, who will be brought to the Azaz district from Al-Bab where they will be provided with temporary accommodation in camps.

With the latest convoy, the number of people to have left Eastern Ghouta since the evacuation process began on March 22 has surpassed 57,500.

Evacuations from Douma are set to continue, according to Anadolu Agency correspondents based in the area.

Evacuations are being conducted as part of a Russian-brokered agreement between Syria's Assad regime and armed opposition groups.

On Feb. 24, the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2401, which called for a cease-fire in Syria -- especially in eastern Ghouta -- to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid.


Despite the resolution, however, the regime and its allies in early March launched a major ground offensive -- backed by Russia -- aimed at recapturing opposition-held parts of the district.

Since Feb. 19, more than 1,400 people have been killed in attacks by the regime and its allies in eastern Ghouta, according to local civil-defense sources.

Home to 400,000 residents, Eastern Ghouta has remained under a crippling regime siege for the last five years, which has prevented the delivery of badly needed humanitarian supplies.

Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in early 2011 when the regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.

According to U.N. officials, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict and millions displaced.

This article has been adapted from its original source.

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