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Two cities, one lies in Syria while the other in Iraq, share the same depressing and gloomy destiny as both are now living under deplorable and execrable siege conditions. ISIS besieges Deir Ezzor and civilians living in the city are used as human shield by Assad forces, while Fallujah is under an inhumane siege imposed by Iraqi Government forces, with ISIS using civilians in the city as human shields.
Civilians in Fallujah and its surrounding like Saqlawiya, villages of Abdu Sadira, al-Biqara, al-Sajr and al-Karma have been living under siege for more than three months now, pushing the besieged civilians to begin to eat grass, leaves and animals food, with children facing terrible moments of starvation with the possibility that many of them risk to perish.
The city has witnessed more than 10 death cases of patients with diabetes due to the unavailability of insulin, with a dramatic rise in food prices as the price of a kilo of flour has reached 100 thousand Iraqi dinars.
The number of people living in Fallujah is estimated at 30 thousands civilians. ISIS has prevented them from leaving the town for safer areas in Iraq, turning them into complete hostages to protect itself from any military operations carried out by the Iraqi Government. Shops, hospitals, markets and pharmacies have run out of food and medical equipment for months now, creating a very serious starving situation.
There had been passageways linking Ramadi and Fallujah from which civilians used to transport food and all needed materials to the besieged town, however, after the liberation of Ramadi from ISIS, the passageways were completely cut off and eventually all food and medical supplies stopped arriving to Fallujah.
An eyewitness, who spoke on conditions of anonymity, has said, “Fallujah will become a new Syria’s Madaya, if the siege continues for a long time”.
He added, “We are facing a serious humanitarian crises in Fallujah at the current time, and in the near future it may cause many civilians to starve or die from hunger”.
“People are using a substance, which is a type of food for birds, to bake breads after the besieged town has run out of flour supplies. We do not know what is awaiting for us, aerial bombardment is on a daily basis and the siege is unbearable”.
In the same context, Deir Ezzor province is going through the same situation as ISIS has imposed an inhumane siege upon the regime-held al-Joura and al-Qusour neighborhoods of Deir Ezzor where an approximate number of 200 thousands civilians are living under bestial siege conditions for at least a year and two months now.