After Madaya, Deir ez-Zor now faces humanitarian catastrophe
The starving citizens of Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria are trapped in the battle between the Islamic State and government forces, squeezed by blockades imposed by both sides.
QAMISHLI, Syria — Deir ez-Zor is a city divided and beset on all sides. Though much of the city is still controlled by the Syrian government, it has been under attack and blockaded for more than a year by the Islamic State (IS). Shelling and starvation have killed dozens of civilians, and much of the city has no electricity.
The siege "is threatening the lives of the biggest unarmed mass of humanity in Syria,” according to a report titled “420 Days of Siege Laid on Deir ez-Zor,” issued by the Justice for Life Observatory (JFL). The civil rights organization is comprised of activists and journalists in the city.
