Over 113,000 people have left the besieged Syrian district of Eastern Ghouta in almost a month since the start of a Russia-backed humanitarian operation, according to a monitoring center affiliated with Russia’s Defense Ministry.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s main ally in the conflict, ordered daily five-hour ceasefires and the creation of a “humanitarian corridor” to allow civilians to leave Eastern Ghouta starting from Feb. 28. In their assault on the rebel-held area, pro-government troops have been accused of indiscriminate shelling leading to the deaths of hundreds of civilians.
