Russia has denied that Damascus used chemical weapons against the rebels.
On Saturday evening, “a helicopter dropped a barrel bomb that contained a chemical agent in Douma, an enclave in Eastern Ghouta. 40 people, largely children and women, have been killed with hundreds being treated at medical centers,” the volunteer first responders Syria Civil Defence tweeted late on Saturday.
The group, known as the White Helmets, said that families were found “suffocated” in their homes and the number of casualties was rising dramatically.
Despite the dire need of the people, the humanitarian aid agency Syrian Arab Red Crescent has announced its branch in Douma “out of service… due to the ongoing situation.”
The organization called on all parties to respect the neutrality of humanitarian facilities and staff.
Another Video showing cases of suffocation among civilians, mostly children and women, following the chemical attack against the civilians in #Douma city. #AssadHitsDoumaWithChemicals pic.twitter.com/ItEpVLq5zM
— The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) April 8, 2018
Tweeting on Sunday morning, US President Donald Trump called Syrian President Bashar al-Assad an "animal" and said there would be a "big price to pay" for the attack.
“Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!”
US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said they were following the reports closely.
“These reports, if confirmed, are horrifying and demand an immediate response by the international community,” she stated.
She called to mind a sarin gas attack on Khan Sheikhoun last year. The US responded to that attack by launching 59 Tomahawk missiles on a regime airbase that had allegedly launched the chemical weapon attack.
Nauert called out Damascus’ main backer, Russia, saying Moscow “ultimately bears responsibility for these brutal attacks, targeting of countless civilians, and the suffocation of Syria’s most vulnerable communities with chemical weapons.”
She accused Russia of being in breach of its obligations to the United Nations by “shielding its ally Syria” and failing to stop the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
Russia's defence ministry has dismissed the reports, Interfax news agency reported.
Damascus has accused the Jaish al-Islam rebel group in Douma of alleging a chemical weapon attack in order to “hinder the Army’s advance,” state-run SANA reported, citing a source that said the Syrian Arab Army does not need chemical weapons in its “swift and determined advance” in Douma.
SANA reported the deaths of dozens of women and children in Damascus from rockets and mortars fired from Douma.
The Iranian foreign ministry branded allegations of a chemical attack a "conspiracy" against its ally and a pretext for military action.
“Such allegations and accusations by the Americans and certain Western countries signal a new conspiracy against the Syrian government and people, and a pretext for military action,” it said in a statement, according to AFP.
In a statement, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General, called any use of chemical weapons “abhorrent,” demanding all sides respect the Security Council-brokered ceasefire agreement.
“The Secretary-General calls on all parties to cease fighting and restore the calm that had been in place, and adhere fully to Security Council resolution 2401 (2018). He reiterates there is no military solution to the conflict.”
“The Secretary-General is particularly alarmed by allegations that chemical weapons have been used against civilian populations in Douma. While the United Nations is not in a position to verify these reports, the Secretary-General notes that any use of chemical weapons, if confirmed, is abhorrent, and requires a thorough investigation.”
He said it is critical that civilians be protected and that all sides respect international humanitarian and human rights law, including humanitarian access across Syria to all people in need.
The European Union issued a statement condemning the attack, calling for an immediate international response.
“The evidence points towards yet another chemical attack by the regime,” the EU said in a statement. “It is a matter of grave concern that chemical weapons continue to be used, especially on civilians. The European Union condemns in the strongest terms the use of chemical weapons and calls for an immediate response by the international community.”
In a statement, Margot Wallström, Sweden's foreign minister, said she is horrified by reports of chemical weapons attacks in Douma. She said an investigation must be launched immediately, and that impunity is not an option. Sweden will demand action by appropriate international bodies, including the UN Security Council, she added.
The UK Foreign Office has called for an investigation into the alleged attack, saying that if true, it is “further proof of Assad’s brutality,” Sky News reported.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry has expressed its concern about the alleged deadly attack and stressed the need for a peaceful solution to the Syrian conflict. The ministry reminded the international community that it has a responsibility to protect civilians in Syria.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an agreed ceasefire was expected to come into force in Douma at dawn on Sunday. The Observatory, however, reported new airstrikes Sunday morning.
The UN Secretary-General said he was alarmed by the reports of a chemical weapon attack on Douma and expressed concern about the “renewed and intensive violence” in the rebel enclave over the last 36 hours. He called on all parties to cease fighting.
Through heavy bombardment and negotiated evacuations, Damascus has gained control of about 95 percent of the former rebel stronghold of Eastern Ghouta. More than 1,600 civilians have been killed in the onslaught since mid-February.
