Assad Accused of Dropping Chemical Bombs on Damascus Suburb Al Ghouta · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Syrian opposition activists accuse Bashar Al Assad's forces of killing hundreds of people, mostly children and women, reportedly with nerve gas, in the Ghouta region, east of Damascus, Syria, on the morning of August, 21, 2013.
Horrible footage of dying (and dead) children are plastered across social media, calling for the world to break its silence on the atrocities being committed against civilians in Syria.
On Greater Syria, Enas, a Syrian in Amman, Jordan, writes:
At around 3:00 a.m. in the morning, regime’s forces fired rockets with chemical heads on Zamallaka and on Al Zainia area in Ein Turma. Jobar district was slightly affected by as the gases were driven to it by the wind. A big number of civilians were consequently subjected to the gases, leading to the martyrdom of tens of them. Up until now, primary reports from makeshift hospital of Arbeen (where victims were taken) report 41 martyrs fell (22 children, 11 women, 8 men), 5 other martyrs were taken to Douma, 40 martyrs documented by videos in Saqba, and at least 20 martyrs inside Ein Turma itself. Most activists report that death toll amounts to more than a 100 up until now. Many of the martyrs are children, seen in videos below suffocating to death.
Enas's post provides links to photographs and videos [Warning: Graphic] showing the unfolding tragedy.
Enas adds:
Symptoms of the patients include nausea, hallucinations, suffocation, hard coughing, high blood pressure, seizures, during affection and post-death gargle, etc. Still, no clue of the chemical weapon/toxic gas that was used by the regime’s forces to target the innocent civilians.
Families are fleeing the targeted areas to Saqba and several other nearby areas as reported by activists there as they are utterly horrified. Activists also report the lack of Atropine that is usually used to treat civilians during chemical attacks by the regime; oxygen tanks are not available too. Medics are only using vinegar to the mouth and nose and are washing the bodies of the victims by water.
The number of those killed has been on the rise since. Hala Droubi offers another toll:
Actvsts in #EastGhouta #Damascus #suburbs say at least 400 were killed during morning #chemicalagent attacks, includn kids. #Syria.
— hala droubi (@haleloola) August 21, 2013
And others put the toll at over 635 so far:
#BREAKING | NOW over 635 killed by Chemical Gas Attack on #Damascus Suburbs, mostly woman/children. The world's silence is killing Syria..
— TheNewSyria (@The_New_Syria) August 21, 2013
Mohannad shares a photograph from a field hospital in Daraya, where he says there isn't room to treat more of those injured:
Field hospital in Daraya doesn't even have enough room to treat the injured. #CWMassacre pic.twitter.com/PMlUKAaAVb
— MohaNNad أبو مازن (@TheMoeDee) August 21, 2013
And he challenges the media to break the wall of silence on atrocities being committed in Syria:
If the media doesn't want to speak up then we will. We will never be silent.
— MohaNNad أبو مازن (@TheMoeDee) August 21, 2013
Enas shares her pain:
I haven't slept as I sit down & watch the videos & cry my heart out.I can't do anything as I'm far.Forgive me,my families.#CWMassacre #SYRIA
— Enas (@itsEnas) August 21, 2013
She adds that the bombing followed the victims, taken to nearby Erbin, for treatment:
BREAKING:#Assad shelling Arbin where sm victims of CW were taken- #DamascusSuburbs http://t.co/W1ahfEVMBM #CWMassacre #AnewMassacreinSyria
— Enas (@itsEnas) August 21, 2013
Assad's official Syrian news agency said the allegations were designed to derail an ongoing United Nations (UN) inquiry. This week, an UN inspection team arrived in Syria to start an investigation into charges of chemical weapons, which each side has accused the other of numerous times in the two-year conflict.
For more on the tragedy, follow the hashtag #CWMassacre on Twitter.