Much of Homs was already badly damaged before the latest round of fighting began at the end of June. The purple screen protects people against snipers. (Photo: REUTERS/Yazan Homsy)
A sustained attack by Syrian government forces over the last 10 days has recaptured most of the strategic city of Homs.
The struggling rebels increasingly feel abandoned by the outside world.
The BBC’s Paul Wood in Beirut has been in touch with rebels in Homs says some have shared pictures of themselves wearing suicide vests, saying this is all they have left.
Wood says it looks like it’s only a matter of time before Homs is taken by the government of Bashar al-Assad, which seems to be gaining momentum in the civil war, while the rebels are increasingly divided.