Ghouta chemical attack facts for kids
The Ghouta chemical attack was a terrible event that happened in Ghouta, Syria, on 21 August 2013. During the Syrian civil war, rockets carrying a dangerous chemical called sarin hit two areas controlled by the Syrian opposition near Damascus. Many people died, with estimates ranging from at least 281 to over 1,700. This attack was the deadliest use of chemical weapons since the Iran–Iraq War.
Quick facts for kids Ghouta chemical attack |
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| Part of the Siege of Eastern Ghouta | |
| Location | Ghouta, Syria |
| Coordinates |
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| Date | 21 August 2013 |
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Attack type
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Chemical attack |
| Deaths | Various estimates:
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Non-fatal injuries
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3,600 patients displaying nerve agent symptoms in 3 hospitals supported by MSF |
| Perpetrators |  Syrian government |
Contents
Investigating the Attack
After the attack, United Nations inspectors were already in Syria. They asked to visit the Ghouta sites to investigate. The Syrian government allowed them access on 25 August. The inspectors then visited different areas in Ghouta over the next few days.
What the UN Found
The UN investigation team found "clear and convincing evidence" that the nerve agent sarin was used. It was delivered by rockets fired from the ground. A report from the UN Human Rights Council in 2014 said that a lot of sarin was used in a planned attack on areas where civilians lived. This caused many deaths. The evidence suggested that those who did it likely had access to the Syrian military's chemical weapons and knew how to use them safely.
Who Was Blamed?
The Syrian opposition, many governments, the Arab League, and the European Union all said that forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad carried out the attack. However, the Syrian and Russian governments blamed the opposition. Russia called it a "false flag" operation, meaning the opposition staged it to make foreign countries get involved in the war on their side. The leader of the UN Mission, Åke Sellström, found the government's explanations about rebels getting chemical weapons unconvincing.
Avoiding Military Action
Several countries, including France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, thought about using military force against the Syrian government. But on 10 September 2013, military action was avoided. The Syrian government agreed to a deal with the US and Russia to hand over all its chemical weapons stockpiles for destruction. Syria also agreed to join the Chemical Weapons Convention, which bans chemical weapons.
However, in June 2018, the OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) noted that Syria had not declared or destroyed all its chemical weapons as promised.
Understanding the Background
Ghouta is an area with many people living in suburbs east and south of Damascus. Most people in Eastern Ghouta supported the opposition against the Syrian government. The opposition had controlled much of Eastern Ghouta since 2012, partly cutting off Damascus. Another area, Muadamiyat al-Sham in Western Ghouta, had been surrounded by government forces since April 2013.
Ghouta had seen many fights for over a year before the chemical attack. Government forces often launched missiles to try and remove the rebels. The week of the attack, the Syrian government started a new effort to capture opposition-held suburbs.
The "Red Line" Warning
The attack happened one year and one day after US President Barack Obama warned that using chemical weapons would be a "red line" that would change his approach. At that time, Syria was one of only five countries that had not signed the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention. Before the Ghouta attack, there were suspicions that chemical weapons had been used in Syria four other times.
Earlier Suspected Attacks
One such attack was the Khan al-Assal chemical attack on 19 March 2013. A rocket containing sarin hit a government-controlled area near Aleppo. Many people, including soldiers and civilians, died. Later, it was found that the sarin used in Khan al-Assal was very similar to the sarin used in the Ghouta attack.
The United Nations Human Rights Council also had a group called the Independent International Commission of Inquiry. This group investigated human rights violations in the Syrian civil war, including possible chemical weapon use. In June 2013, they said there were reasons to believe toxic chemicals were used in four attacks, but they needed more proof to know exactly what chemicals were used or who was responsible.
The Attacks Unfold
The chemical attacks happened in two different areas controlled by the opposition in the Damascus suburbs, about 16 kilometers apart.
Eastern Ghouta Attacked
The first attack happened around 2:30 AM on 21 August 2013, in Eastern Ghouta. This area was a rebel supply route and had been under siege by the Syrian military and Hezbollah for months.
At least 8, and possibly 12, rockets hit a specific area in the Zamalka and Ein Tarma neighborhoods. These rockets were homemade and each could carry about 50-60 liters of sarin. Tests of samples from Zamalka and Ein Tarma found traces of sarin in most cases, with some having "high level concentration."
Western Ghouta Attacked
The second attack took place in Western Ghouta around 5:00 AM on 21 August. A witness said he counted seven rockets falling in two areas of Moadamiya. One type of rocket identified was a 140mm M-14, which can carry about 2 liters of sarin. However, none of the environmental samples from Western Ghouta tested positive for sarin, though some showed signs of its breakdown.
Who Had Chemical Weapons?
At the time of the attack, Syria had not joined the Chemical Weapons Convention, which bans chemical weapons. In 2012, Syria had publicly stated it had chemical and biological weapons and would use them if attacked by a foreign power.
French intelligence believed that a group called "Branch 450" was responsible for filling weapons with chemicals and keeping the stockpiles safe. As of September 2013, France estimated Syria had about 1,000 tonnes of chemical agents, including sarin.
The UK's intelligence committee said it was unlikely that rebels were responsible for an attack of this size. They stated there was "no credible intelligence or evidence" that the opposition had chemical weapons. Experts also said that only a military force with access to and knowledge of missile systems and sarin could have carried out such a large attack.
Initial Claims and Responses
Both the opposition and the Syrian government said a chemical attack happened on 21 August 2013. But they blamed different groups.
Opposition's View
Anti-government activists immediately blamed the Syrian government. They said many people had died from shells filled with poisonous gas. Opposition leaders called for UN investigators to visit the attack sites and for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council. They also reported that doctors and first responders died after treating victims.
Government's View
Syria's Deputy Prime Minister said that foreign fighters and their international supporters were to blame. Syrian state television called the accusations fake, saying they were meant to distract the UN chemical weapons experts who had just arrived in Syria. President Bashar al-Assad said that blaming his government for using chemical weapons made no sense and was "entirely political."
The UN Investigation Continues
The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, created the "United Nations Mission to Investigate Alleged Uses of Chemical Weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic" after the Syrian government asked for an investigation into an earlier alleged attack in March 2013.
When the Ghouta attack happened, UN inspectors were already in Damascus. Ban Ki-moon urged the Syrian government to allow immediate access to the Ghouta sites. White House officials believed the Syrian government was trying to hide evidence by shelling the sites and delaying inspection.
Inspectors Under Fire
On 26 August, the UN team came under sniper fire while on their way to Moadamiyah in Western Ghouta. This forced them to return to their hotel and get a new vehicle before continuing. Despite the delay, they visited clinics, collected samples, and interviewed witnesses and doctors. They spoke with 20 victims and took blood, hair, soil, and animal samples.
On 28 and 29 August, the UN team visited Zamalka and Ein Tarma in Eastern Ghouta. They also visited a Syrian government military hospital on 30 August. The mission left Syria on 31 August, promising to return later to investigate other alleged attacks.
UN Report on Ghouta
The UN report on the Ghouta attacks was released on 16 September 2013. It stated: "the environmental, chemical and medical samples we have collected provide clear and convincing evidence that surface-to-surface rockets containing the nerve agent sarin were used in Ein Tarma, Moadamiyah and Zamalka in the Ghouta area of Damascus."
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the findings "beyond doubt" and clear evidence of a war crime. He said most of the samples tested positive for sarin. The report noted that during their work in rebel-controlled areas, "individuals arrived carrying other suspected munitions," suggesting evidence might have been moved or changed. The UN investigators were also accompanied by a rebel leader.
The British UN Ambassador said the sarin used was of higher quality than that used by Iraq in the Iran–Iraq War.
Reactions to the Report
Human Rights Watch said that hundreds of kilograms of sarin were used, which suggested government responsibility because opposition forces were not known to have large amounts of sarin.
The Russian government disagreed with the initial UN report, calling it "one-sided" and "distorted." Russia's Foreign Minister said his government believed the opposition carried out the attacks as a "provocation."
Final UN Report
The UN inspection team returned to Syria in late September 2013. A final report on Ghouta and six other alleged attacks was released in December 2013. The inspectors wrote that they "collected clear and convincing evidence that chemical weapons were used also against civilians, including children, on a relatively large scale in the Ghouta area of Damascus on 21 August 2013."
This conclusion was based on:
- Rockets found to contain sarin.
- The environment near impact sites being contaminated by sarin.
- Interviews with over fifty survivors and healthcare workers matching the medical findings.
- Patients clearly diagnosed with nerve agent poisoning.
- Blood and urine samples from patients testing positive for sarin.
Another UN group, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, also reported that the sarin used in Ghouta was very similar to the sarin used in the Khan al-Assal attack. They also suggested that the attackers likely had access to the Syrian military's chemical weapons.
What Happened Next?
The ongoing fighting made it hard for survivors of the attack to get good medical care. Even a month later, many survivors still needed medical attention for problems like breathing and vision issues. In early October 2013, Moadhamiya, one of the targeted places, had been surrounded by pro-government forces for five months. People faced severe lack of food and medical emergencies.
Countries like the United States and the United Kingdom faced strong public and political resistance to military action. For example, the British Parliament voted against using military force. The UK government then focused on providing help to people inside Syria and to refugees.
Within a month of the attacks, Syria agreed to join the Chemical Weapons Convention and allow all its chemical weapons to be destroyed. The destruction began in October 2013 under international supervision. By June 2014, the last declared chemical weapons were shipped out of Syria for destruction.
Remembering Ghouta
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The Ghouta tragedy is remembered every year by Syrians in opposition areas, Syrian refugees, and supporters of the 2011 Syrian Revolution around the world. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum marked the ninth anniversary of the attack, calling it a "new low point" in the terrible events of Bashar al-Assad's rule.
