The situation in the city of Hama is very bad. Following the visit of the Turkish Ambassador to Hama, tanks and security forces re-entered the city and continued its two week siege of the city. It was observed that many houses had been destroyed and numerous buildings and businesses were damaged. People have apparently resorted to burying their dead in their backyards, gardens and public parks rather then risk carrying the bodies to the local cemeteries and being gunned down by the numerous snipers stationed around the city.
A story was told about a woman who left the city to take her young daughter to a hospital in Hama province (many provinces are named after the major city or town in the province) for treatment. In the few days she was away, her son was gunned down by security forces and fellow protesters had to bury him by the side of the road as there was nowhere else to bury him. Most of the hospitals have been closed or are under surveillance by the Mukhabarat (internal security services) who like to kidnap or kill wounded protesters who turn up hospitals for care. For this reason, many protesters forgo care or must be smuggled out the city for care elsewhere, and then taken from the hospital and hidden from security forces.
It was also noted that the regime's security forces are attempting to sow sectarian strife by arming Alawite villages in Hama province and ordering them to fire upon neighboring villages which have generally been Sunni. The city of Hama itself is running out of food, water and baby formula. Internet and telephone service is limited to non-existent, which is why outside groups are having a hard time confirming the city's situation. Some activists put the death toll of the past two weeks at two thousand dead in Hama alone.
A story was told about a woman who left the city to take her young daughter to a hospital in Hama province (many provinces are named after the major city or town in the province) for treatment. In the few days she was away, her son was gunned down by security forces and fellow protesters had to bury him by the side of the road as there was nowhere else to bury him. Most of the hospitals have been closed or are under surveillance by the Mukhabarat (internal security services) who like to kidnap or kill wounded protesters who turn up hospitals for care. For this reason, many protesters forgo care or must be smuggled out the city for care elsewhere, and then taken from the hospital and hidden from security forces.
It was also noted that the regime's security forces are attempting to sow sectarian strife by arming Alawite villages in Hama province and ordering them to fire upon neighboring villages which have generally been Sunni. The city of Hama itself is running out of food, water and baby formula. Internet and telephone service is limited to non-existent, which is why outside groups are having a hard time confirming the city's situation. Some activists put the death toll of the past two weeks at two thousand dead in Hama alone.
No comments:
Post a Comment