Syria marks 13th anniversary of Ghouta chemical attack

Several areas across Syria held events on Friday to mark the 13th anniversary of the chemical attack that targeted the Eastern and Western Ghouta areas of Damascus on August 21, 2013. The events, mainly held in Zamalka and Muadamiyat al-Sham, commemorated the victims and highlighted the ongoing suffering of survivors and their families.

In Zamalka in Eastern Ghouta, residents and activists took part in an event commemorating the victims, which included a visit to the attack victims’ cemetery and a vigil calling for those responsible to be held accountable.

In Muadamiyat al-Sham in the Damascus countryside, an event titled “The Massacre of the Century: The Dawn of Justice” was held in Al-Zaytouna (Liberation) Square to commemorate the victims of the attack.

At the same time, the Syrian Network for Human Rights said that survivors and victims’ families continue to face long-term health, psychological and social consequences, including chronic illnesses, psychological disorders, loss of breadwinners, and the effects of forced displacement.

The network said the sarin gas attack targeted civilian-populated areas in Eastern and Western Ghouta, including Muadamiyat al-Sham, in four simultaneous chemical strikes.

According to the network’s documentation, the attack killed 1,144 people and injured around 5,935 others. At least 10 missiles, with their total payload estimated at around 200 litres of sarin gas, were used in the attack.

The commemorative events come 13 years after the attack, as its consequences continue to affect survivors and victims’ families, amid ongoing calls for justice and for the circumstances of the attack to be fully uncovered.