Orient Net, MAR 1, 2018 — UN criticized, in a Security Council meeting Wednesday (Feb. 28), the ongoing shelling and bombardment in eastern Ghouta despite the claimed Russian truce in the area.

Speaking on fighting that continues in eastern Ghouta, UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, Mark Lowcock, said, “Can you deliver assistance in eastern Ghouta during a humanitarian pause between the 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. local time? Well, to quote the International Committee of the Red Cross’s Middle East director who spoke yesterday on this, ’it’s impossible to bring a humanitarian convoy in five hours.”

Assad regime militias launched a ground assault on the edge of the opposition-held eastern Ghouta enclave on Wednesday (Feb. 28), seeking to gain territory despite a Russian plan for five-hour daily ceasefires.

UN under-secretary-general, Jeffrey Feltman, said in the Security Council meeting, “The air strikes, shelling and ground offensives continue, there are even reports of yet, another chlorine gas attack. What we need is implementation of 2401 and that is not happening.”

The UN Security Council, including Assad’s strongest ally Russia, passed a resolution on Saturday calling for a 30-day countrywide ceasefire. But the measure has not taken effect, with Russia and Assad regime saying they are battling members of ‘terrorist groups’ excluded from the truce.

Russia has instead called for daily five-hour local ceasefires to establish what it calls a humanitarian corridor so aid can enter the enclave and civilians and wounded can leave.

The first such truce took place on Tuesday but quickly collapsed when bombing and shelling resumed after a short lull.

Hundreds of people have died in 11 days of bombing of the eastern Ghouta, a swathe of towns and farms outside Damascus that is the last major opposition-controlled area near the capital. The onslaught has been one of the fiercest of Syria’s war, now entering its eighth year.