Syrain civil war escalates; average citizens paying the price! (VIDEOS)

Plumes of smoke cover Homs amid shelling reports (VIDEO) — RT

Heavy gun battles and loud explosions could once again be heard and seen in the Syrian city of Homs as heavy artillery shelling continued to strike buildings in the Jouret al-Shayah neighborhood. The opposition blames government forces for the latest onslaught, though the authenticity of the footage cannot be verified. The reported escalation of violence comes a day after UN observers attempted to visit the conflict torn city. Anti-government forces claim at least 25 civilians have died across Syria on Tuesday, with the Syrian National Counci claiming up to 800 people have been killed over past week.  The group also estimates the overall toll of the conflict at 14,000 people.

Food shortages, and more hardships faced by Syrian people

For months the international community has been struggling to curb the violence in Syria. But while the world leaders continue to push its peace plan, it is ordinary citizens that have born the brunt of civil war and harsh foreign economic sanctions. The civil unrest in Syria is putting an estimated 1.4 million people at risk from hunger, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) reports. Tens of thousands have already crossed the border into neighboring countries to get access to food and water, while Syria imports almost half of its food for its domestic use, the UN says. Meanwhile, rising inflation generated by the international economic sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies continues to hit ordinary Syrians the hardest. Inflation stands at 30 per cent as of April 2012, while the country’s two most important economic sectors – tourism and oil – are flagging amid the unrest and economic sanctions, Reuters reports. Read More

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