A/HRC/37/72 intended to be de-escalation zone, aid deliveries into eastern Ghutah have been denied by pro-Government forces more often over the reporting period than in 2016. 6. Eastern Ghutah is currently under the primary control of two armed groups, namely Jaysh al-Islam (the Islam Army) and Faylaq ar-Rahman (the Rahman Legion). Both factions have consistently been attacking Government-held Damascus city with unguided mortars that have killed dozens of civilians, amounting in each instance to the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks.1 Other groups present in eastern Ghutah include Ahrar alSham, which controls the area of Harasta, and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which maintains control over certain pockets. 7. Infighting between the terrorist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and Faylaq ar-Rahman on one side, and Jaysh al-Islam on the other was rampant in April and May 2016, in April 2017, as well as over July and August 2017. The impact of armed group and terrorist organisation infighting posed grave risks to civilians living under their control. Specifically, civilians were denied freedom of movement within the enclave, which impacted upon their ability to access farmlands. The inability to cultivate land and produce food locally led to an increased reliance on the use of tunnels. Prior to their closing, however, infighting between rebel factions also affected the regularity of tunnel access. 8. In September 2017, Government forces closed the Wafidin crossing point close to Douma, which served as an entry point for goods and which was manned by proGovernment forces on one side and by Jaysh al-Islam on the other. By November, prices for basic commodities surged drastically. One kilogram of sugar now costs between 10,000 and 16,000 Syrian lira. One kilogram of tea costs 100,000, of salt 20,000, of vegetable oil 12,000, and one box of powdered milk between 20,000 and 25,000 lira. Many families in eastern Ghutah currently subsist on $10 to $15 USD a day, though the cost of living would require a salary of $50 to $100 USD per family per day. While seasonal vegetables remain available, very little red meat or poultry can be found. 9. Just as pro-Government forces markedly heightened aerial and ground operations on eastern Ghutah in September 2017, cases of acute malnutrition become more prominent, with several children having since died of preventable illness such as organ failure exacerbated by malnutrition. The Commission has documented numerous instances in which children suffered immeasurably as a result of malnutrition in eastern Ghutah. Around the same time, women began increasingly experiencing difficulties producing breastmilk due both to malnutrition and stress, further leading to malnutrition of their babies. Many individuals throughout eastern Ghutah are currently subsisting on one meal a day. 10. Siege conditions have further pushed armed actors in eastern Ghutah to loot food and medical supplies from civil society organisations and aid warehouses. Reportedly, on 19 October, at approximately 11 p.m., a group of around 40 armed men wearing balaclavas attacked a Provincial (governorate) Council aid warehouse in Hammourieh. They had spread across the centre of Hammourieh and erected a checkpoint 25 metres away from the warehouse. The armed men broke down the door, stormed the warehouse, and carried stored foodstuffs out and into trucks parked at the entrance. Due to their masks, civilians near the scene were unable to identify any of the armed men. Around one hour after the attack, beleaguered civilians rushed to the warehouse and began taking foodstuffs as well, rendering the warehouse empty of its stocks. On the same evening, another Provincial Council aid warehouse had been attacked by armed men, as well as a third the next 1 Both factions have consistently been attacking Government-held Damascus city with unguided mortars that have killed dozens of civilians. After the tightening of the siege in February, armed groups began increasingly relying on rockets capable of reaching mid- and long-range areas. For example, on 17 November, a woman was left severely disabled after armed groups launched rockets into Damascus. On 19 November, shortly after 3:00 pm, armed groups located in Jobar or Harasta launched an improvised, 20-metre range rocket from the besieged enclave which struck a crowded city street (Mazza 86) on which two schools are located. One witness recalled hearing the typical “whistle” of the rocket, followed by a large explosion. Three civilians were killed in the attack, and their car destroyed. Minutes later, a similar rocket landed in an open area some dozens of meters away. Similarly, dozens more civilians died on 20 November when armed groups launched attacks against Damascus city. The Abdullah bin Rawaha mosque was reportedly damaged on the same day. 21