UN secretary general Antonio Guterres has called Eastern Ghouta “hell on earth”.    Reuters
UN secretary general Antonio Guterres has called Eastern Ghouta “hell on earth”. Reuters

Syria: a massacre unfolding in the shadow of UN resolutions



Minutes after the UN Security Council voted unanimously on Saturday for a 30-day ceasefire across Syria to allow medical evacuations and humanitarian deliveries, regime warplanes dropped bombs on Eastern Ghouta. As a British diplomat said, while the world was "arguing over commas", Bashar Al Assad, Syria's president, was reloading his jets with missiles to deliver death to those resisting his rule. The following day, his forces launched a renewed ground and air assault against the inhabitants of Eastern Ghouta. At least 14 civilians were killed in Sunday's offensive, bringing the total number of deaths since the regime intensified its bombardment of the rebel-held enclave outside Damascus to 520. Among the dead are 130 children, the most recent of their number a three-year-old, killed in a suspected chemical attack in the village of Al Shifuniyah.

There is no let-up in the regime's attacks and no respite for the people trapped in what has been described by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres as "hell on earth". What is happening in Eastern Ghouta and Afrin, which is being bombed by Turkey, is not an aberration but rather the continuation of a deadly pattern. As The National reports, the war in Syria has progressed from bad to worse under the shadow of UN debates and resolutions. Some 20 resolutions have gone to the floor at the UN since the Syrian civil war erupted in 2011; but the world's resolve to stop the blood of Syrians from being shed repeatedly collapsed against the obstinate determination of Mr Al Assad's chief international sponsor, Russia, which, together with China, wielded its veto powers to squash resolutions that might have resulted in some relief for Syrians. Even resolutions that did pass unanimously were immediately violated on the ground. In 2016, for instance, a major resolution imposing ceasefire in eastern Aleppo collapsed on the very day that it passed.

More than 340,000 people have lost their lives as Russia has progressively chiselled away at the UN's capacity to contain the conflict through diplomatic means. Saturday's security council resolution calling for a month-long ceasefire is already looking like a perfunctory measure – progress on paper, but meaningless in reality. Mr Guterres has to report back to the security council in 15 days' time on the resolution's implementation, but the fact that Russia has threatened not to "countenance any subjective interpretation of the resolution" means that he cannot state the blindingly obvious: that Russia's diplomatic and military support for Mr Al Assad is among the principal obstacles in the path to enforcing resolutions designed to achieve peace. The talking shop has disbanded after producing yet another resolution at the UN. History tells us that it will do little to halt the bombing spectacle in Syria.

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The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press

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Rating: 3/5

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The bio

Who inspires you?

I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist

How do you relax?

Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.

What is favourite book?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times

What is your favourite Arabic film?

Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki

What is favourite English film?

Mamma Mia

Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?

If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.  

 

The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK 

Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

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The bio

Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions

School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira

Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk

Dream City: San Francisco

Hometown: Dubai

City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala

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Day 3 stumps

New Zealand 153 & 249
Pakistan 227 & 37-0 (target 176)

Pakistan require another 139 runs with 10 wickets remaining

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

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The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
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