Washington DC- An UOSSM medical facility was put out of service today in Aleppo. At 3 a.m. Damascus time, the medical facility was hit by an airstrike, completely destroying the facility. No casualties have been reported.
The medical facility had an emergency department, which provided first aid and minor surgical procedures, and had six staff (nurses, paramedic, ambulance driver). Its ambulances were supported by the World Health Organization (WHO).
UOSSM condemns this attack, and all attacks on medical facilities, in the strongest possible terms.
Kathleen Rowan, CEO of UOSSM USA said, “Attacks on medical facilities must stop. It is unacceptable to target medical facilities that provide vital medical care to people in desperate need. We call on the international community to demand these attacks stop and those responsible held accountable.”
#DoctorsInDanger
Acccording to the 2016 UOSSM Syrian Hospitals Report, there were 1004 direct and indirect attacks on Syrian medical facilities. Some were targeted up to 25 times with an average of three attacks per hospital.
Petitions were sent to state leaders worldwide: Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau, Angela Merkel and Theresa May. The petition demands that state leaders uphold and enforce humanitarian law:
1. The effective implementation of UN Security Council resolution 2286 (2016)**, which prohibits attacks against medical facilities/ staff/ aid workers during war. That the government makes every effort possible to prevent these attacks and holds perpetrators accountable for war crimes.
2. The immediate opening of a safe, impartial, humanitarian corridor for NGOs to deliver essential aid to healthcare workers and care for neglected populations.
To find out how you can help the children of Syria and their families please click here.
