The UN on Friday (October 27th) condemned the "deliberate starvation of civilians" as a war tactic following the release of "shocking" images showing severely malnourished children in Eastern Ghouta, AFP reported.
The area near Damascus has been under regime siege for more than four years.
UN human rights chief Zeid Raad Al Hussein said the pictures were "a frightening indication of the plight of people in Eastern Ghouta".
"The deliberate starvation of civilians as a method of warfare constitutes a clear violation of international humanitarian law," he said in a statement.
Eastern Ghouta is one of the areas covered in a deal this year to create "de-escalation zones” to facilitate aid access to besieged areas, but humanitarian conditions remain dire.
The UN rights chief called the suffering of civilians in the region "an outrage".
He also accused armed opposition groups in Eastern Ghouta of restricting the work of humanitarian organisations.
