22/08/2013 11:00
Syrian activists: Videos show chemical weapons used (Video)
A camera pans slowly over a row of children partly under a sheet, their eyes closed, their skin looking sallow. A man behind them, crazy with anger, shouts, "Stop lying to us! Stop lying! Where did all these children go? Where is this regime ... that is killing us?
"Chemical weapons," he screams, holding his head. "We were hit with chemical weapons!"
Inside a medical area, it's chaos. Footage shows people carrying limp bodies, some haphazardly covered in sheets, others splayed, nearly nude, on the floor. A man is on his back, staring blankly upward, his chest convulsing violently. Others hold tissues to their mouth, appearing to gag.
According to CNN, these were some of the videos posted online that opposition activists in Syria say show that the government has used chemical weapons in the countryside outside its capital Damascus.
The allegations come as a U.N. group arrived in Syria this week to determine whether either side in the conflict is using chemical weapons.
Hours after the videos were reported on across international news, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson issued a statement saying that he was "shocked" by the reports. The U.N. mission is "fully engaged in the investigation process" and the team, which began work Monday, "is in discussions" with the Syrian government," the statement read. "The Secretary-General reiterates that any use of chemical weapons by any side under any circumstances would violate international humanitarian law."