WorldPhotos

Syrian ceasefire gives photographers a rare look at war-torn Damascus

A ceasefire in Syria brokered by the U.S. and Russia is holding after nearly a week despite sporadic clashes, a U.N. envoy said on Thursday. The truce, being hailed as the most promising in years, has given photographers a rare chance to capture pictures of war-torn Damascus.

Halt in fighting 1st step to humanitarian aid and a lasting peace, UN hopes

CBC News Posted: Mar 03, 2016 5:48 PM EST | Last Updated: March 3, 2016

Residents of the besieged city of Douma, a suburb of Damascus, came into the open on Feb. 27, 2016, the first day of a fledgling ceasefire many hope is the first step toward a lasting break in Syria's years-old civil war. (Bassam Khabieh/Reuters)

Fighting has stopped, mostly.

The cessation in fighting is shaping up to be the most promisingstep in years towardending a war that has killed at least 250,000 people and driven millions of Syrians to flee their country.

The sight of soldiers, like this one keeping watch nearHama cityon Wednesday, is a reminder that the truce is still in its fledgling stages.

Skirmishes had been reported inHama,Homs,Latakiaand Damascus, butby Thursdayfighting hasbeen mostlycontained, the UN said.

UN says theceasefireis 'fragile' but holding.

The UN's special envoy for Syria,StaffandeMistura who is monitoring the truce described the situation as "fragile" but said he was hopeful the breakwill be a lasting one.

De Misturaspoke in Geneva on Thursday amid hopes of a breakthrough that could pave the way for regular humanitarian aid deliveries to remote and besieged areas that have been cut off by the fighting.

Theceasefireis the first step to delivering meaningful aid, the UN hopes.

So far, much of the aid reachingthose in need is being delivered bytheRussian military. These children in Maarzaf, about 15 kilometres west of Hama city,are getting sweets.

The effects of war are still an everyday reality.

The Syrian Ministry of Electricity reported power outages across the country on Thursday. These children in Damascus, who are used to the frequent outages, continued their studies by flashlight.

The break in fighting has given residents a rare chance to take stock.

People in rebel-held parts of Doumacame out to assess the damage this week after the airstrikes, shelling and street-level fightingin the Damascus suburb had mostly stopped.

Large areas of the Syrian capital havebeen left in ruins.

Not all those in need of help were injured in fighting.

AboMustafa, who lives in Damascus's rebel-controlledneighbourhoodofTeshreen, is elderly and infirm.Photographed on Feb. 29, he hopes a break in fighting will give him a chance to leave his house to seek medical attention after a fall the week before.

Life will be affected for generations.

Heba, 14, pictured in back with her mother and brother, was pulled out of school to care for her eldest sibling, Abdo (in the foreground), who has Down syndrome. Mother Buthanya's husband disappeared four years ago, leaving her as the sole breadwinner.

Prisoner exchanges were part of the deal.

The release of prisoners, which this man is celebrating in the Teshreen neighbourhood of Damascus on Feb. 29 by shooting into the air, is one of the terms of the tenuous ceasefire.

Peacetalks were called off last month after a spike in fighting.

De Mistura said the agreementhas "greatly reduced" violencein Syria. During his press conference on Thursday, he reaffirmedhis hopes that peace talksbetweenthewarring Syrians factions would be held in the near future.

"In general, the cessation has been holding [but] like in every cessation of hostilities this one in particular there are still a number of places where fighting has continued," he said.