In August 2015, the city of Marea in the northern Aleppo countryside of Syria witnessed a chemical attack, which led to the death of a child and the injury of other civilians from the same family. The Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was tasked with confirming the occurrence of a chemical attack (mustard gas).
The Fact-Finding Mission issued a report on October 29, 2015, with the reference number (S/1320/2015), concluding that at least two people were exposed to sulfur mustard, with the possibility that the effects of this gas led to the death of a newborn child.
According to the report, the attack occurred between 10:00 AM and 11:30 AM on the morning of August 21, 2015. The shell landed inside one of the rooms of a house consisting of four members, and signs of inhaling the chemical gas began to appear an hour after the incident.
The report indicated that the potential individuals were identified by one of two means: first, through the investigative team scanning the incident area, and second, by identifying potential individuals who were interviewed as potential agents from another trusted source due to their proximity to the location or their participation.
According to the report, coordination was made with the Syrian Chemical Violations Documentation Center (CVDCS) to identify the locations and names of the family members who were exposed to the chemical substance.
The report emphasized that the Fact-Finding Mission did not have direct access to the individuals involved in the incident and only conducted an indirect interview with the Director of Marea Hospital (a nurse) via a group voice call. The mission did not confirm the identity of the person interviewed through documents or identification. However, it was clear to the mission from the context of the interview that the individual had a medical background and knowledge.
The report discussed the methodology followed by the Fact-Finding Team in collecting data, testimonies, conducting interviews, and presented a map showing the location where the shell landed inside the city of Marea.
The report concluded that the team could “with utmost confidence” confirm that at least two people were exposed to sulfur mustard, and it is very likely that the effects of sulfur mustard caused the death of a newborn child.
chemical_weapons FFM MAREA opcw syria
