Editor's note: CNN correspondent Arwa Damon recently spent some time in Baba Amr, a neighborhood in Homs, Syria, a city that has been a flashpoint in a months-long uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. Government forces have shelled parts of the city – especially Baba Amr, a bastion of anti-government sentiment – for more than two weeks, damaging houses and other buildings and leaving many dead and wounded.
Damon was one of the few international reporters in Syria, whose government has been placing restrictions on journalists and refusing many of them entry. Below is the latest in a string of edited accounts of what Damon and her team saw and heard from activists in Homs:
Virtually no food has come into Baba Amr since the shelling began more than two weeks ago, activists say. So, the residents who are gathered in makeshift bunkers collect what food they can find there and carefully ration it – though those supplies are running out.
Some of what they’ve gathered comes from, among other places, stores that have been hit by artillery fire.
“We take the products to distribute so they don’t go to waste. We keep track of everything we took to reimburse the owners,” an activist says.
In hard-hit Baba Amr, hundreds live in makeshift shelters, having left their homes out of necessity – many have been destroyed – or fear. Navigating the rubble-strewn streets of Baba Amr is made more difficult, activists say, by frequent shelling by government forces and by government snipers. Under cover of darkness, teams head to stores to gather what little supplies are left, quickly loading lentils, diapers and cracked wheat into vehicles.
At one of the shelters, a woman shows off the dwindling food supply.
“There is no food. There is only cracked wheat and rice,” she said.
Another woman, who is at the shelter because her home was destroyed, volunteers at a medical clinic in the neighborhood. She said she had coffee and two cigarettes for the day, and nothing for two days before that.
“I can guarantee you this, people will starve to death," she said.
Baba Amr has been "completely cut off and services are pretty much nonexistent," Dima Moussa, a Chicago lawyer and a Syrian opposition activist, told CNN on Tuesday.
"Communicating with the activists in the area is becoming harder, so getting complete information about casualties is becoming difficult, and we think that the numbers far exceed those that we have been reporting, since we're only reporting those that we can confirm," she said.
The neighborhood has been "completely cut off and services are pretty much nonexistent," Moussa said.
Al-Assad has denied reports that his forces are targeting civilians, saying they are fighting armed gangs and foreign fighters bent on destabilizing the government. But many accounts inside the country say Syrian forces are killing civilians as part of a crackdown on anti-government opposition.
More detailed coverage of what's happening in Syria:
Monday, February 20: 'What is the world waiting for? For us to die of hunger and fear?'
Saturday, February 18: Residents bracing for the worst in Homs
Friday, February 17: Syrian protesters hail 'resistance'
Friday, February 17: In one Syrian town, full-throated cries of defiance
Thursday, February 16: Farmers, teachers, carpenters armed with rifles fear massacre
Thursday, February 16: Wounds ooze, doctors cry in Syrian city
Wednesday, February 15: Activists say trying to flee from homes under attack is virtually a suicide run
Tuesday, February 14: Fearful residents prepare for a bloody battle
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Thanks to our spineless president, there is no place like Homs.
Seals Kill Bin Laden etc. Most of the progress made in the war? on terror has been made under Obama no thanks to the Cowardly Republican Right . Check The Facts before you drop that axe. A6 Cat 2. Charles Bowen Solomon Stone
What does Syria have worth saving, no oil, no natural resources, just sand and wind. You cant expect the US to spend blood and treasure without anything in return.
And what would you have Obama do ?
There is a Russian Military base in Syria, and now two Iranian Navel vessels
are anchored there.
Do you want to send Americans to die in a war ?
You keyboard warriors are morons.
We cannot save everyone EVERY time there is a conflict. Let them look to their Arab/Muslim neighbors for help.
Agreed, if people haven't noticed the US has a record numbers of children hungry and homeless. The soup kitchens cannot keep up and the shelters are filled to capacity. They need help also.
What a pity! Down to russia down to china
What a shame, the international communities watching the massacre and allowing this to Happen, in Libya because of the OIL they all stand behind the Libyan people while they are watching the Syrian people massacred and not even sending the Assad regime to Internationa court for his brutal killing of civilian
*** Libya because of the OIL ...........
Have gas prices gone down ?
Do we get free oil from libya, no we pay for it.
Libya is all flat and desert.
NATO launched attacks from Italy and from the sea.
Syria is different, it is surrounded for the most part
by Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and Iraq.
Any major offensive would impact all of these countries
and could start a larger war, with Iran sending troops.
Go back to your video games.
These women with headgears and their husbands are the al-Qaeda
No, they are Syrians.
i think if you don't have something good to say you better stay silent, it is a horrible stereotypic foolish thing what you're saying, if you are not familiar of that culture then do not judge these people.
Assassinate Assad Now! Charles Bowen Solomon Stone
I am Disgusted with The US Government and The U.N for allowing thousands upon thousands of innocent Men, Women and Children to continue to be massacred by all these Islamic/Muslim Tyrants in the middle east. The America I live in now resembles nothing of the America I learned about in School. Those who have the Ability to take action have the Responsibility to take action and help these people who are crying out for their lives. God be with those who are suffering and I hope God has mercy on the souls of those who sit back like a coward and do nothing.
Did you know, AMERICA lets you leave if you don't like it here. Middle Eastern countries do not want Americans on their land. So cut the garbage, again, if America does not live up to your expectations – go anywhere but here.
And the first American who dies there, you will be screaming for Obamas head.
Sorry, but Syrians were celebrating on 9/11.
Mark, the Syrians did NOT celebrate after 9/11. Check the facts for yourself before spewing your hatred of all Muslims.
It is what it is, we tried to help countries and we get your B.S. backlash, you are on your own. If you want what you want and how you want it, you have to fight for it. Do you really want "FREEDOM", it is not cheep to get. These countries are monetarily rich but have no soul – look into the eyes, they are not a compassionate people and this is what comes from this part of the world. Not one of the middle eastern countries are coming to help, are you kidding me, they are not willing to risk their own for their own. Why in the world would the USA want to get involved in this. My heart goes out to the children – very sad. The women are just like the men in their country, except they are the sheeps being pathetically led by their "men" REALLY!
And if the French had not helped us in our fight for independence from English rule where would America be today?
This is directly the result of Russian & Chinese ambivalence – the new world order!!! Anyone who thinks the world would be better run by communist atheists need only watch the horrors unfolding in Syria.
Oh, you mean the horrors brought on by hundreds of years of religious warfare? You mean the current situation brought on by battles between Christian leaders and Muslim leaders? Yes, obviously religion is a cure, not the ROOT of the problem to begin with.
All people should be allowed to live their lives in peace. Religion should never play a part in the governing of any population, period.
Syrians are not communists,
they are being ruled by a military dictatorship.
You sound stupid.
Angry American, this was not started by a fight between Christian leaders and Muslim leaders. It is not a fight about religion at all,but rather a fight for freedom from a regime that has oppressed the people for 40 years. Assad is a murderer just like his father was. He will flatten Homs and other cities in Syria if not stopped. His father did it so why should we expect anything different from him. He is only interested in keeping his power and will do so at any cost. He does not care about the people of Syria at all!
Red Crescent, where are you?
Just another way to lower the world population.
Then the Syrians should do the same to Assad as the Italians did to Mussolini.
Hard to do when you have guns
and they have tanks and jets.
i hope you all starve to death!!!
Rich Saudi Arabia is right there – let the Arabs take care of their own for a change.
Where is the rest of the world now? They complain about the U.S. going around the world to fix things every step of the way. They tell the U.S. to stay out and let them handle it.
Where is Russia in all of this? They vote no on the resolution, but are not helping fix the problem.
Where is China in all of this? They are the #2 power in the world, and the biggest influence in Syria. They voted no on the resolution, but are not fixing the problem.
Where is the Arab League in all of this? This is a big name Arab country, and they sit on their thumbs doing nothing. The European Union would have helped their member already. The African Union has helped their members. NATO helped Lybia.
The Arab League is the most disgusting group of all. They influence politics, but hold no power. They are as useless as the League of Nations.