A member in Harasta Coordination Committee, Abu Wael al-Harastani, confirmed that nearly 1,000 families have arrived from Eastern Ghouta to the neighborhood of Barzeh fleeing a suffocating siege imposed on them by the Assad regime.
The families were allowed to pass through the gateway of Harasta to Barzeh and now face new problems entering Damascus.
They start packing in the early morning to finish a tormenting journey they expect to repeat in coming days.
In a call with All4Syria, a source in Harasta said the the crossing, which the regime opens at random intervals, sees thousands of people gather daily, many waiting for long hours to leave Ghouta. They have been forced to evacuate after being unable to secure even a loaf of bread due to the year-long siege.
The activist and member in the Federation of Syrian Youth in East Ghouta, Salam al-Shami, told All4Syria that many families remain stuck at regime checkpoint for several days waiting to cross into Damascus.
Some have managed to cross while others haven’t; it all depends on the mood of the officer at the checkpoint. The estimated number of those waiting is approximately 20,000 people.
Al-Shami added the the crossing is a small tunnel under the ground connecting Harasta on the one side and the orchards of Barzeh and Qaboun on the other.
The few locals who crossed the checkpoint recently are distributed between Eastern Ghouta, Barzeh, Qaboun, al-Tal or the capital, Damascus.
After the U.N. Security Council issued a resolution to bring aid into Syria and forcing the Assad regime to end the siege around areas in Homs, Eastern Ghouta and the south of Damascus and allow relief convoys to move freely within the Syrian territory, the regime opened one crossing in Eastern Ghouta.
The crossing is open between Harasta and Barzah, but limited to the way the regime wants; it is closed for anyone who tries to enter Ghouta, but it is open to those wishing to leave. The condition for leaving is that the person shouldn’t be wanted by security branches.
Translated and edited by The Syrian Observer
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