Over 5000 leave E. Ghouta as evacuation continues

By Adham Kako, Burak Karacaoglu and Levent Tok

EASTERN GHOUTA/ANKARA

A second convoy of vehicles carrying civilians and opposition fighters from the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta arrived in Hama province in west-central Syria on Saturday.

According to Anadolu Agency correspondents in Eastern Ghouta, the 45-bus convoy left the besieged area late Friday carrying more than 3,290 people.

Patients with urgent health conditions are expected to be transferred to the opposition-held Idlib and western parts of Aleppo province.

On Friday, a first convoy of 30 buses reached Idlib and the western countryside of Aleppo province carrying more than 1,900 people, including women and children.

So far, 5,198 people have been evacuated from Eastern Ghouta, out of a total of 8,000 people -- including opposition fighters and their families – who are slated for evacuation from the regime-besieged region, as a part of a Russia-brokered agreement between Syria’s Assad regime and armed opposition groups.

On Feb. 24, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2401, which called for a ceasefire in Syria -- especially in Eastern Ghouta -- to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Despite the ceasefire resolution, however, the regime and its allies early this month launched a major ground offensive -- backed by Russian air power -- aimed at capturing opposition-held parts of the district.

Since Feb. 19, more than 1,000 people have reportedly been killed in attacks by the regime and its allies in Eastern Ghouta.

Home to some 400,000 civilian residents, the district has remained under a crippling regime siege for the last five years that has prevented the delivery of badly-needed humanitarian supplies.