Syrian group says Ghouta chemical attack survivors still suffering
23:11, 21/08/2026, FridayU: Update: 23:40, 21/08/2026, Friday
AA
AA
Syrian families gather at the cemetery in Zamalka, Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, Syria, on August 21, 2026, to offer prayers at the graves of relatives killed in the Assad regime's chemical weapons attack 13 years ago. Over 1,400 civilians, including hundreds of women and children, lost their lives in the August 2013 sarin gas assault, as survivors and bereaved family members continue to demand international accountability and justice for the victims.The Syrian Network for Human Rights said survivors of the 2013 chemical massacre in Damascus' Ghouta district continue to face severe health complications and psychological trauma more than a decade later, noting that forced displacement and the loss of breadwinners have compounded their ongoing suffering.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights said survivors of the August 2013 chemical massacre in Damascus' Eastern and Western Ghouta are still grappling with chronic health conditions, psychological trauma and social disruption twelve years after the attack, according to SANA news agency. The monitoring group documented persistent suffering from respiratory illnesses, mental health disorders and the long-term consequences of losing family breadwinners alongside forced displacement from the besieged suburbs.
Lingering Health Impact
The group noted that the long-term medical impact includes neurological damage and chronic diseases among survivors who were exposed to approximately 200 liters of sarin gas delivered via 10 rockets on civilian-populated areas. Many victims continue to require specialized treatment that remains largely unavailable in the war-torn country, while psychological support for trauma-related disorders has been minimal despite the passage of more than a decade since the atrocity.
The 2013 Massacre
On August 21, 2013, forces loyal to then-President Bashar Assad carried out four simultaneous chemical strikes on Eastern Ghouta and Moadamiyet al-Sham, killing 1,144 people and injuring around 5,935 others according to the network's documentation. The attack occurred while the regime maintained a suffocating siege on the two Ghouta areas, severely limiting residents' access to medical supplies and humanitarian aid needed to treat chemical exposure in the immediate aftermath.
Displacement and Accountability
Surviving civilians endured years under siege and harsh conditions before being forcibly displaced to camps in Idlib province in 2018, though many began returning to Eastern Ghouta following the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024. Damascus joined the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in September 2013 under UN Security Council Resolution 2118, yet subsequent investigations revealed undeclared stockpiles used in later attacks on Latamneh and Saraqib. The OPCW suspended some of Syria's membership rights in April 2021, though the country reactivated its permanent mission to the body in The Hague last November.
Comments you share on our site are a valuable resource for other users. Please be respectful of different opinions and other users. Avoid using rude, aggressive, derogatory, or discriminatory language.