The Ministry of Health in the Syrian interim government condemned the targeting of hospitals and health facilities by the Assad regime and Russian forces as well as their repeated violations of the cease-fire agreement.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry said that Russian jets have bombed several field hospitals in Dara’a province in the past few days, putting them out of service. The statement stressed that the airstrikes deliberately targeted field hospitals in the towns of Tal Shihab, Saida, Aljiza, Alnaiema, Alghariya Alsharqiya, Alhirak, Alyadoudah, and Nassib.
The Ministry called on the international community not to fall for the regime’s lies as it denies targeting civilians and health facilities. The Ministry has documented dozens of attacks by regime forces against civilians and hospitals in 2017, some with the use of chemical weapons.
Regime forces dropped barrel bombs on Kafr Zeita Central Hospital in rural Hama on February 13, putting it out of service. They also bombed a field hospital in the town of Arbin in eastern Ghouta with chlorine-filled shells, the Ministry said.
The Ministry called on the international community and all human rights organizations to assume their responsibilities towards the continued violations and crimes against humanity carried out by regime forces and its allies against innocent and unarmed civilians across Syria.
Meanwhile, an investigation initiated by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) concluded that the Assad regime and Russian forces were behind airstrikes that hit two hospitals in northeastern Syria back in February 2016. The medical charity on Wednesday said that 25 people, including an MSF staff member , were killed and 11 others wounded in the attack.
MSF’s confirmation was based on an investigation by the Forensic Architecture agency which looked into the airstrike on Ma’arat Alnuman hospital. The agency used amateur photographs and video footage to help reconstruct the bombings. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media department)
