That started three years ago, and the Syrian observatory for human rights says at least150,000 people have been killed, and that roughly a third of those people are civilians. A weekago, a truce took effect in the city of Homs. This is a strategically important city for both theSyrian government and the rebels fighting it. It's an ancient city, and it's a city that's beenunder siege in the conflict.
The cease-fire is showing signs of falling apart, but it brought at least temporary relief topeople who'd seen war at their doorstep.
The massive destruction and an old town of Homs shows the whole tragedy of Syria Civil War.But in the middle of this sad scene some are with joy. Zeina Akhras is one of only a handful ofcivilians who lived through the entire 2.5 years siege of old Hams.
"I don't even want to think about it", she says. The last three months were the toughestbecause we could only eat grass and leaves all the time.
The Syrian Army sealed off Homs after it fell into rebel hands, supplies of food and medicinequickly depleted.
Zeina's brother Aiman was trapped with her the whole time. He tried to find food and gatherfirewood for the little stove in their apartment.
"I took wood this size and bigger" he says. It's some of the wood rebels broke out of Homs toburn. I only use leftovers.
When virtually all their food had run out, they were forced to eat leaves. Aiman says of allplaces, he found the best ones in a graveyard. He asks me to try them.Good?
It's OK. Everyday?
For breakfast, lunch and dinner, he says. And each meal was just a tiny bowlful.
What we always have to keep in mind is that the people who are stranded here were not onlystarving. They were also subject to intense shelling pretty much round the clock that laid wasteto large parts of the historic town of Homs.
With its use of heavy weapons and the siege of this and other districts in Homs, the Assadregime has been accused of using starvation as a weapon in the civil war.
Zeina and Aiman said their apartment was raided by opposition fighters dozens of times, andrebels took most of their few remaining supplies.
They took everything, he says. Marmalade, five canisters of olive oil, honey, tea - they didn'tleave anything.
After more than two years of hunger, Zeina is weak. She weighs only 34 kilos, 68 pounds.
