More than 1,500 people have been killed since Syrian government troops backed by Russia launched a ferocious attack on eastern Ghouta on February 18. Airstrikes have reduced much of the area near Damascus to ruins. According to the UN, there were an estimated 400,000 people trapped inside the besieged enclave without access to food and water when the offensive began.

The town of Douma, with its 200,000 residents, is now the only remaining Ghouta pocket still under rebel control. The full recapture of eastern Ghouta would mark a significant victory for Syrian President Bashar Assad. Referring to the month-long assault on the enclave, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres demanded "this hell on earth" be stopped immediately.

According to activists and doctors in the region, several people have suffered symptoms consistent with those triggered by a chlorine gas attack and had to be treated in hospital. French President Emmanuel Macron has warned the Syrian regime that the use of chemical weapons will result in French retaliation, but the Syrian government claims it has never used this kind of munition.

A man and child look at the remains of a missile in Douma, the largest in eastern Ghouta. More than 300,000 people have been killed since the conflict began in 2011, when the government cracked down on protesters who were calling for the release of political prisoners and for President Assad to step down.

Activists say people in Douma have little food or water. Marten Mylius, the emergency relief coordinator for CARE in the Middle East, told DW that "after the tunnels were destroyed and the crossings closed, the price of basic foods skyrocketed. One kilo of rice now costs $4.50 (€3.66). A lot of people cannot afford that anymore. In other words, we are witnessing a rapid spread of malnutrition."

Aid access to eastern Ghouta is difficult because there is no direct route from neighboring countries. "In Idlib, for example...you can get in directly from the Turkish border. You can wait with supplies at the border and then bring in the convoy. It is much more difficult in eastern Ghouta," Mylius told DW.

The besieged rebel-held city of Douma in Syria is located in the east, around 10 kilometers (6 miles) outside the capital Damascus.

Over the last six years, countless civilian neighborhoods have been completely or partially destroyed by Russian and Syrian-led airstrikes. Children have become used to living in these bombed-out areas and have turned the rubble into a playground.

Most schools and other public institutions were moved underground because of the bombing and the airstrikes on the city. Education is crucial for this war generation as the country's future hinges on them.

Most of the time, Douma is being hit by regime and Russian airstrikes. In this image, a man was checking the damage to his house while the warplanes were still flying overhead.

The bread baking machines have ground to a halt due to a lack of flour and fuel to keep them running. Making bread by hand is an old tradition in Syria and some Douma residents have opened up shops to bake and sell bread. One piece of bread costs 75 Syrian Pounds (30 euro cents).

Abeer* lost her right leg in a bomb explosion in front of near her home while she was with her cousin Hassan* who was killed by the same bomb. Abeer is just one of thousands of injured children. Despite her loss, she's determined to live like anyone else, playing with friends and going outside. *Names have been changed.

At night Douma is plunged into darkness. There has been little to no electricity since the siege began. Locals ration the use of their generators for their shops and homes.

Ironing clothes has not exactly been a priority for people in Douma but whenever possible and with the help of an old iron heated over a coal fire, mundane tasks help to regain a sense of normality.