As many as 45 local non-government aid groups have issued a joint statement calling for an end to the systematic targeting of health facilities by the Assad regime forces and their allies, warning that the living conditions of civilians and humanitarian workers continue to determinate.
The statement added that the deliberate bombing of medical facilities denies the most vulnerable groups access to their most basic rights, especially children, women and the elderly.
The NGOs noted that the facilities targeted by the bombings were all located in the areas covered by the “de-escalation zones” agreement which called for cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians, and increased humanitarian access.
The statement stressed that these attacks represent a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.
The systematic, deliberate targeting of health facilities is clearly aimed at denying the civilian population access to health services and forcing them to leave their homes, the statement added.
The NGOs condemned the brutal tactics of the Assad regime, demanding that UN agencies do everything in their power to protect civilians as well as medical and humanitarian personnel in Idlib province.
The statement called on the Assad regime’s allies to spare humanitarian and medical facilities as well civilians all forms of conflict and to respect international humanitarian law. It called on UN Security Council to subject perpetrators of these attacks to fair trial in order to deter future attacks on civilians and humanitarian personnel.
Health officials in northern Syria said that the as many as 41 medical facilities have been attacked since the beginning of this year. The hospitals targeted by the airstrikes included a hospital in the town of Saraqib and the National Hospital in the town of Ma’arat al-Nu’man on Sunday (February 4). The airstrikes also targeted a hospital in the town of Tal Mardikh and the Surgical Hospital in the town of Kafarnbel on Monday (February 5). (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Baladi News Network)
