A recent meeting of the Humanitarian Task Force in Geneva gave detail to the ongoing fighting in Syria, with  Jan Egeland, the special Advisory to the UN Special Envoy for Syria declaring a horrific fact: “they have been through a seven-year war, longer the second World War”.  There had been a time of de-escalation in areas of the war-ridden nation; however, United Nations officials in a press release on the 9^th of November now warn that the fighting is unfortunately returning to some of its bleakest days”. The human suffering that was reduced to some extent during the time of de-escalation is once again particularly concerning due to the situation in Eastern Ghouta where conditions have worsened.

The situation in Eastern Ghouta concerns the fact that close to 400,000 people are living in besieged areas where food and basic health supplies are beyond reach due to the rising high prices of these fundamental objects. As a matter of fact, the UN believes the conditions in the area will become more worse and difficult for people in the Eastern Ghouta area due to the oncoming freezing winter weather. “With little, if any, reserves, no heat in their houses and living amid ruin, [for them] it will be a horrific winter; spoken by Jan Egeland to journalists after a meeting of the Humanitarian Task Force in Geneva”. Mr Egeland, further commented on the situation in Eastern Ghouta and gave detail to the horrendous fact that the number of acutely malnourished children is expanding with medical evacuation still made unavailable due to the surge in conflict, “We have confirmation that seven patients died because they were not evacuated and a list of 29 critical cases […] including 18 children, among them young Hala, Khadiga, Mounir and Bassem […] they all have a name, they all have a story, they all have to be evacuated now,” he stressed.

The crisis in Eastern Ghouta is not the only area in Syria that is facing a dire situation, the UN Special Envoy announced that the people of Berm are also in need of desperate assistance. Berm is a desolate area in south-east Syria where 55,000 civilians have not received any relief since June. Furthermore, Jan Egeland stated that the UN is now receiving reports of attacks against civilians intensely in central regions. In order to address the problems, a trilateral mechanism supported by both the UN and Syria is being implemented to help confront the situation. Initiated by Russia, the trilateral mechanism consists of meetings between the nations; however, Mr Egeland has stated of the mechanism, “It still hasn’t produced the results needed, but it is our strong feeling that Russia wants us to get the access and wants to help us, so we are hopeful that this trilateral mechanism will yield results soon,”. Tom Miles, reporting for Reuters, has also noted that nations like the United States, Russia and other states have worked out a comprehensive plan to contribute aid from Damascus.