Demands for justice for Ghouta chemical attack victims continue 10 years on

Survivors of the Ghouta chemical attack are still demanding justice following the massacre committed by Syrian regime forces ten years ago.

The massacre claimed the lives of more than 1,400 people, mostly children and women, in the Damascus countryside.

In 2018, the Syrian regime carried out a second attack with chemical weapons on Eastern Ghouta, killing 78 civilians, after which it extended its control over the entire region.

UN turning a blind eye on the bombing in East Ghouta, Syria –
Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]

Thousands of families were forced to leave Eastern Ghouta for northern Syria.

Ahmed Abu Muhammad, who witnessed the chemical attack, said they hid in shelters during the Syrian regime’s heavy bombing campaign. “Our hideout was near the target point. No one was able to move because of the bombing. Everyone was affected by the smell,” he explained.

He pointed out that their evacuation from the area began after the 2018 chemical attack, “Four months after, my wife became pregnant. We went for regular check-ups every month, but my son Ali was born with two fingers on his right hand. After that, we were afraid to have another child.”

He noted that those who carried out the chemical attack are known, but no one has been prosecuted, calling on the international community to hold the killers accountable.

He added, “We want justice for the victims. Entire families died of suffocation. It was a terrible and unforgettable day.”

OPINION: The chemical weapons attack on Ghouta was a ‘holocaust’, but 10 years on there’s no real change