A five-year Syrian government siege trapping ~400,000 civilians in Eastern Ghouta, marked by alleged war crimes and mass displacement.
Key Facts
- Siege duration
- April 2013 – April 2018 (approx. 5 years)
- Civilians trapped (2016)
- ~400,000 people
- Area of enclave
- just over 100 km²
- People displaced (March 2018)
- 105,000 people
- Evacuated from Douma
- more than 50,000 people
- Douma chemical attack casualties
- ~70 killed, 500 injured
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Anti-government forces had held parts of Eastern Ghouta since November 2012 during the Syrian civil war. In April 2013, Syrian government forces began a siege of the area encompassing multiple cities and suburbs east of Damascus, seeking to recapture territory from rebel groups.
Syrian government forces encircled Eastern Ghouta, trapping roughly 400,000 people in an area of just over 100 km² for approximately five years. The siege involved alleged use of prohibited weapons, starvation tactics, attacks on civilians and protected sites, and a chemical weapons attack on Douma in April 2018, prompting UN Security Council Resolution 2401 calling for a ceasefire.
In March 2018, the Syrian Army split the enclave into three parts and negotiated rebel withdrawal to Idlib, displacing 105,000 people. Over 50,000 people were evacuated from Douma following the chemical attack. The siege generated extensive allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity from the UN Human Rights Council.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent