World Focus

'Hell on earth': Eastern Ghouta the latest flashpoint in Syria's civil war

Eastern Ghouta is the latest flashpoint in Syria's civil war which enters its eighth year next month. Despite a UN ceasefire vote that was passed last Saturday, the human toll continues to climb.

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DOUMA (Syria) • There is nowhere to hide, say residents of a besieged enclave of satellite towns and farms just outside Damascus.

"Every day goes like this: Bombings, then I clean the house from the effect of the nearby shelling, then we hide in one room, attempting to survive or die together," said former teacher Nisma al-Hatri.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 27, 2018, with the headline 'Hell on earth': Eastern Ghouta the latest flashpoint in Syria's civil war. Subscribe