A hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in the town of Maaret al-Nouman in rural Idlib was hit earlier today by Russian air airstrikes. At least seven people were killed and many more wounded in the deliberate attack on the hospital. The hospital was completely destroyed, and the fate of at least eight members of staff is still unknown.
The Syrian Coalition condemned the attack, saying “it is not the first hospital to be targeted by Russian warplanes. Russia has targeted civilian neighborhoods, medical centers, schools and houses of worship. This crime will not be the last as long as the international community keeps silent and shirks its responsibility to respond to them.”
“While we hold Moscow fully responsible for these crimes, we warn that the international community’s continued inaction serves as an incentive for Russia to commit more crimes in Syria. Russia’s acts in Syria will not only negatively affect the political process, but will also encourage the spread of terrorism,” the Syrian Coalition stressed.
The Syrian Coalition called upon the ceasefire task force formed as part of the Munich agreement not to ignore the horrible crimes Russia continues to commit against the Syrian people. “These crimes would undermine all chances of reaching a political settlement to the conflict. The continued silence over Russia’s behavior in Syria undoubtedly represents complicity in these crimes and would ruin what has been achieved in Munich,” the Coalition said.
“These ongoing crimes, especially after the adoption of UN Security Council resolution 2254 and the signing off on the Munich agreement, undermine all chances of restoring trust in the international community. They cast doubt about the international community’s ability to find a real political solution to end the tragedy unfolding in Syria,” the Coalition added. (Source: Syrian Coalition)
