Siege in Syria

Since the early days of the revolution, siege tactics have been used by the Assad regime to suppress rebellion.

Emboldened by UN collusion/ complicity & world inaction, ‘starvation until submission’ campaigns have become the norm with over a million Syrians in dozens of communities around the country facing the brutal tactic.

Below is a Twitter summary of the latest Siege Watch report – essential reading to understand the scale and brutality of sieges in Syria.

Links to human rights reports on sieges can also be found at bottom of this page.

Important @siegewatch report on besieged areas in #Syria covering period of May-Jul. Read to understand scale. PDF-> https://t.co/96CrQWx8Av

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

.@siegewatch report shows "higher levels of violence & reduced humanitarian access" after “Geneva negotiation” process & CoH both collapsed

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

1M ppl under siege in 40 communities across #Syria. An add’l 1.4M in “watchlist” areas. 88% under regime siege. 10% under regime/ISIS siege

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

UN @OCHA_Syria only recognized 590k ppl under siege by May. Far below reality of besieged pop impacting framing, response & accountability

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

At least 22 besieged communities in Homs, Damascus & Rural Damascus governorates were not recognized in @OCHA_Syria reporting

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

Also, UN convoys are few, insufficiently packed & totally dependent on regime. But @WFP airdrops to #DeirEzzor regime areas occur regularly

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

If @WFP can deliver air drops to regime in Deir Ezzor, why can’t they, or even “Coalition” do so to 88% of areas besieged by regime only?

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

A few reminders on how the UN has lost it’s neutrality in Syria: https://t.co/ba0LIDXyc2 & https://t.co/kd8ZERhJwZ & https://t.co/3cLo6PKYwE

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

Back to @siegewatch report: “UN must shift focus away from convoy counting & invest more time,energy, political will into lifting the siege”

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

There are 3 Tiers to siege from 1 (highest intensity) to 3 (lowest intensity) reflecting impact of tactics pic.twitter.com/EuuOZf2DU3

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

E. Ghouta has 22 besieged communities + Jobar. Makes one massive regime siege of over 435k people. pic.twitter.com/QOSX1qGysS

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

Thousands in E. Ghouta were displaced deeper into area by regime offensives. 6 besieged communities were captured by regime & pop displaced

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

In the Homs governorate, Waer, holding out under increased violence, upgraded to Tier 1 (highest intensity) siege pic.twitter.com/7TGFFXZQF6

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

Waer siege only recognized by @OCHA_Syria in May – ex of undercounting. UN aid convoys reached al-Waer twice during the 3 months. #pathetic

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

Homs area sieges are not only enforced by regime but also foreign allies: Afghan & Iraqi militias, Hezbollah, Iranian IRGC forces…

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

In #DeirEzzor in the forgotten east, people have the unfortunate situation of a 2-pronged siege. ISIS & regime… pic.twitter.com/Jpl6BQVKIv

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

ISIS surrounds the regime-held areas & the regime controls supplies, humanitarian aid distribution & restricts civilians from fleeing…

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

As mentioned, @WFP has delivered airdrops to regime every 3-4 days throughout the reporting period. This is supported by regime/RU airdrops

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

In rural Idlib, 2 regime-controlled towns are under Tier 3 sieges by rebels – Fuaa & Kefreya (2% of besieged pop) pic.twitter.com/8ICIB7Tr8r

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

#Aleppo has had an up/down month w siege asserted by regime, then broken, then reapplied w/ foreign intervention pic.twitter.com/gzGTFdbd1t

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

"Intentional destruction of agricultural land has led to more food insecurity" moving to fall/winter.“Starvation until submission” continues

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

“Smuggling, bribery, and local production remain the primary methods used by besieged civilians to attain the basics needed to survive”

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

Medical #siege: supplies excluded from most aid convoys and hospitals continue to be targeted by regime/RU shelling & airstrikes

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

Sieges violates UNSC Resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014), 2191 (2014), 2254 (2015), 2258 (2015), and of course 4th Geneva Convention…

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

Not one siege was lifted during reporting period. Darayya fell shortly thereafter. Waer is at breaking point. #AssadCrimes #WorldCollusion

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

For the regime, 4+ years of siege tactics, UN collusion/ complicity & world inaction is a successfully brutal model to suppress rebellion

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

Regime Sieges = Constant violence. No food. No milk for kids. No meds for elderly. No way out. Hell on earth. Starvation until submission

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

Part of the #KerryLavrov, ceasefire is to allow aid to arrive in besieged areas. Regime has yet to budge, as they have no incentive to do so

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

Read the full @siegewatch report on besieged areas in Syria here. PDF-> https://t.co/96CrQWx8Av

— Abu Adib (@sarabiany) September 15, 2016

For additional reports on Assad’s sieges:

• Siege Watch Quarterly Report. Sep 2016
• Childhood under Siege. Save the Children UK. Mar 2016
• Madaya: Life under Siege. Amnesty. Jan 2016
• Madaya: Starvation under Siege. SAMS. Jan 2016
• Left to Die Under Siege: East Ghouta. Amnesty. Aug 2015
• Slow Death: Life & Death in Syrian Communities under Siege. SAMS. Mar 2015
• Sieges around Syria. Amnesty. Jun 2014
• Squeezing the life out of Yarmouk. Amnesty. Mar 2014
• Moadamiya: Hunger strike under siege.  Nov 2013
• Siege of Homs. Wikipedia. May 2011 – May 2014