Barcelona with Homs, a never-ending siege

12/02/2014 by Elisa Marvena

published in Spanish @ Corriente Roja and InfoTalQual 

On February the 8^th, independent activists of Syrian and non-Syrian origins, along with different associations and organizations, joined the international campaign called “The Last Call from the Besieged Homs” in a moving demo in Plaça Catalunya in which hand-painted masks were shared with the Free Syrian flag and slogans against the siege and for the Revolution. 

The event aimed at giving visibility to the humanitarian and political tragedy striking the neighborhoods opposing the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Homs and to condemn the use of food and hunger as a weapon, a tactic defined as a war crime that has already put an end to the life of 106 people on malnutrition and other difficulties related to the poor living conditions of the siege. 106 people starved and isolated to death. And the number is increasing every day.

Much has been said about the siege imposed to Yarmouk, the Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus, although it can never be said enough. Yarmouk has a special relevancy since there are still those who try to differentiate between the Palestinian and the Syrian struggle, alluding to a messy geostrategic scheme that ends up blurring the bloody reality and the legitimate demands of the Syrian People: freedom and dignity. 

But just as Yarmouk, many areas in Syria are under siege. The total number of besieged people goes around 2 million. Areas like Darayya, well known for its early peaceful demonstrations and where at least 200 people were executed one day of August (2012) during what is referred to as “the Darayya massacre” and whose population is nowadays one of the most afflicted by the daily shelling. Or Moadamiyya, the neighborhood whose residents were victims of the terrible and televised chemical attacks of August, 2013, and from which the survivor, activist and blogger Qusai Zakarya recently kept a hunger strike for 33 days, causing an international campaign in solidarity. 

But among all these areas, the Old City of Homs is the one under the longest siege: from June the 7^th of 2012. A year and a half. 3.000 inhabitants with no access to food, electricity, medical supplies or assistance. Nine people have already died because of the siege; four of them were babies. Actually, almost half (47%) of the besieged population in Homs is under 12. And as if hunger and isolation weren’t enough, the city is under daily shelling. So far, 1.500 martyrs have been documented due to mortars, tanks and barrel bombs thrown indiscriminately from the sky over the people that, seeing them coming, don’t even know where to run to; their memory will forever recall the terrifying sound of the helicopters above; their threatening whir.

The demonstration in Barcelona this Saturday coincided with a particularly challenging time in Homs. Just the day before and after many feints and frustrated announcements, the regime had finally opened a truce of four days: ceasefire until sunset and the possibility of evacuating civilians and delivering supplies and medical aid. During the first day, 83 people were evacuated from the Old City of Homs to the neighboring area of Al-Waer, which is paradoxically also under siege and shelling. From the square, we kept constant contact via social networks with agents in the area who provided information about the last developments. 

As I write, the truce has just been extended for another three days, but the ceasefire has been already broken repeatedly. The staff of the UN and the Red Crescent could feel for themselves the panic experimented everyday by the people of Homs, after they were shelled during the delivery of dozens of boxes with food and other basic supplies inside the besieged areas.
On Sunday, another 611 people were evacuated to Al-Waer neighborhood, that is, carried from one siege to another. They have all gone through intense questioning and men under 54 have been arrested and accused of belonging to armed groups. 

Now, it seems clear that although many in Homs have seen heaven this weekend in the shape of a piece of bread, a blanket or a doctor’s hand, the truce really meets a twisted strategy for the regime to get a whitewash, while clearing an opposing neighborhood and making it weaker, who knows if paving the way for a bloody final move. Only during the last days of the truce 5 people have been reported dead due to the shelling. 

From Barcelona and the rest of the world it is important to show our warmest solidarity with the Syrian People and their Revolution, still alive against all adversities, against all predicti ions, despite the multiple agents trying to twist the original goals of the uprising. Many organizations and activists are being true to their commitment to citizens and their democratic aspirations of freedom, beyond theories and geopolitical conveniences. This next month of March will see the 3^rd anniversary from the first peaceful demonstrations in Dar’aa. Three years of a spring that spread like wildfire to hundreds of squares and millions of minds and that keeps inspiring us, despite the winter we face. May the lost battles not be in vain.