The General Medical Commission in southern rural Damascus warned of a “humanitarian disaster” threatening the lives of over 200,000 besieged civilians should they do not receive medical support for the only remaining hospital in the area.
“The donors have stopped providing support for Shahid al-Mihrab Hospital, which will leave residents of the besieged towns of Babila, Beit Saham, and Yalda without access to medical services,” Muhammed Abu Al-Youser, the Commission’s communications officer, told Smart News Network.
Most of the besieged areas across Syria suffer from severe shortages of food and medical supplies. The Assad regime employs the siege tactic against rebellious areas to force them to surrender, which constitutes a “war crime” under international law and international humanitarian law.
The last two shipments of medical supplies that Shahid al-Mihrab Hospital received through the UN relief agencies are about to ran out, Abu Al-Youser said. He warned that the hospital will stop offering medical services if new supplies do not arrive.
Over 150 surgeries are performed at the hospital every month, Abu Al-Youser added. In addition to emergency medical care, consultations, and obstetric services, the hospital has so far treated about 120 patients with critical injuries. He pointed out that residents of the area cannot afford treatment in private hospitals or seek treatment in the regime-held areas for fear of detention or compulsory recruitment by the Assad regime.
The last UN aid convoy was allowed into the towns of Babila, Beit Saham, and Yalda in April after more than a year of blockade by the Assad regime. The Assad regime blocks the introduction of medical and food supplies to the area even though representatives of the towns and the regime concluded a truce allowing the introduction of food and medical supplies to the area. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Smart News Network)
