The International Committee of the Red Cross said on December 26 that medical evacuations had begun in the rebel-controlled rural Damascus neighborhoods of East Ghouta.

The area has been surrounded by pro-government forces for years, with limited access to food and medical supplies.

The Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) said people were to be taken from the area in “29 critical cases”, and that the evacuations were expected to continue for days.

This video and photos, released by the ICRC, show scenes from the evacuations. Credit: ICRC via Storyful