Deir Ezzour Observatory for Justice for Life 9-Month Report
The following 9-month report by the Observatory for Justice for Life in Deir Ezzour details the security situation, the living conditions, and the health risks in Deir Ezzour.
“1.1 Living situation
295 days has passed since the siege of Al-Jourah, Harabesh, Al-Qosoor and Al-Bghaileyyeh neighborhoods, where malls are empty most of the days of the months from essential materials along with the higher costs of the available materials to a point where most families can’t afford them.
At the beginning of the ninth month, the regime selected some terms to allow civilians out:
- The elderly.
- Those who have serious diseases.
- The injured because of crossfires.
- Patients and everyone who needs surgery.
According to these cases, one has to apply with a referral from the Health Ministry to the security agency responsible of letting civilians out.
The regime undid this decision and replaced it with another one, preventing people from leaving under any circumstances, that’s after they noticed that a great number of citizens have left.
The regime has issued a decision, according to which it prevented the selection of workplaces for 1631 teachers who have left the besieged areas, also, considered their life outside those areas, a vacation without payment until they return. This statement comes despite the consent of the Director of Education in Deir Ezzor to select their work places/centers.
1.2 Services:
Electricity is still cut off for more than 185 days, coupled with the lack of hope for its return after the regime forced families to send their children to join the national army.
The besieged areas are supplied with water every 48 hours, this water is not sterilized and full of impurities and soil most of the time, with some areas not being supplied with water except once in a week, like: Al-Tab street and the prison street of Al-Jourah neighborhood, which compels families in those areas to fill water with 500 SYP per barrel.
Fuels are rare which led to their higher prices:
Kerosene price 1000 SYP per 1 liter.
Fuel price per liter 800 SP.
The petrol price per liter 4000 SP.
1.3 Health situation:
Hospitals suffer from a shortage and lack of medical staff and essential medicines, where medical staff consist of a few number of newly graduated medics as well as a number of nurses.
The observatory recorded the death of a guy by suffocation due to a sandstorm which hit Deir Ezzor and he was taken to the hospital but didn’t get the necessary medical care.
1.4 Security situation:
The observatory has recorded the deaths of 9 people this month due to torture in the regime prisons and 3 other people, a woman and two children, have drowned while trying to escape to the Greek islands. The observatory also recorded the deaths of 8 people suffocating on the Austrian borders, two of them were women.
Heavy fighting between the regime and ISIS continued where the observatory has recorded the deaths of 13 people from the national defense of the regime militias.
1.5 The education sector:
Schools opened their doors with the start of the school year, a rise of numbers of students who enrolled this year was noticed compared to the previous years and the number of civilians living in the besieged neighborhoods.
2. Areas controlled by ISIS:
2.1 Security situation:
This month has seen violent clashes and cross fires between ISIS and the Syrian regime and its militias on the frontlines of the airport, Al-Sinaa, Ayyash, the heart hospital and the Al-Jneineh way. The two parties used heavy weapons and the regime also used Chlorine gas around Deir Ezzor airport to prevent ISIS members from advancing. The observatory recorded the deaths of 19 members from ISIS in the airport battles.
ISIS cut off the hands of two children from Khsham town, one of them is 13 years of age, the second is 14, for theft. They also executed 23 people on charges of collaborating with the FSA and the renegades, among them was a 22 year old girl.
The Syrian regime has launched intensive raids and strikes on different areas outside its control which led to a huge number of injured and dead people, the observatory recorded the deaths of 38 people in different areas of the province, among them was 10 children and 4 women, the observatory recorded the death of a civilian from Boqros town east of Deir Ezzor in a bombardment on Al-Raqqa city.
The observatory recorded the death of 15 young people from Deir Ezzor in the battles between the liberation army and the Syrian regime or ISIS on the other hand in Aleppo and Idlib.
The Coalition airforce targeted a number of vital sites of ISIS, it hit Kuniko gas factory in Khsham countryside and some areas in Al-Boukamal city. The observatory recorded the death of a civilian from Deir Ezzor in Al-Raqqa city due to the Coalition bombardment.
ISIS launched a wide arresting campaign which got dozens of civilians with different accusations like not adhering to prayer times, and not letting their beards grow, ISIS also arrested a number of women in Deir Ezzor city for not complying with the Islamic dress code, and had their families pay a fine, reaching 5000 SYP. ISIS also whipped a woman in Al-Boukamal city for the same reason.
ISIS stoned a woman until death in Al-Fayhaa courtyard in Al-Boukamal for sexual intercourse (adultery).
ISIS compelled a new religious course in Sabikhan town on every male who had passed 12 years, and asked the former FSA members to hand over all their equipment.
2.2 Health, education and living situation:
The regime’s bombing of the modern medicine hospital has led to stop most of the specialties from working in Al-Mayadeen city, which had been a loss of many of Al-Mayadeen city medical services. ISIS hasn’t worked to re-prepare them, it only forced doctors working in them to work in the field hospital of ISIS in Al-Sinaa area in the city. That’s all in addition to Al-Saeed hospital and the blood bank going off service due to bombardments against them on the 28th of September 2015.
ISIS is preparing to open schools which rely on courses and curriculums they formed, as well as teachers and staff who were previously subject to religious courses, and there are some rumors of forcing students to abide by the daily attendance of the newly opened schools.
ISIS raises the price of one kilo of bread in the western Deir Ezzor suburb from 100 SYP to 120 SYP, they also forced the internet café owners in Al-Boukamal city to get an approval before they re-open their cafés.
ISIS had closed all internet cafés a month ago, in addition to letting one internet café in Hajeen neighborhood of Al-Boukamal city, provided there are surveillance cameras installed to watch anyone who gets in and out of the café.”