Washington DC- A UOSSM Primary Health Care Center in Misraba and a UOSSM office in Hammouria, were hit under a wave of attacks on hospitals, buildings and “anything standing” in eastern Ghouta in the past 24 hours. No casualties were reported as all medical centers in the area were shut down due to heavy shelling and airstrikes. The bombardment has caused most of the inhabitants of the areas to be displaced into other parts of the city. An area doctor who chose to remain unnamed said, “Hammouria is under massive attacks causing a state of mass hysteria as every building is being bombed one by one, wiping out the entire area. The area has turned into a ghost town as everyone in the area has been displaced and all medical facilities were attacked.”
In the past 24 hours, the Ghouta Central Hospital, Al Hakeem Maternity and Pediatric Center, Al Balsam Clinics, Al Amal Rehabilitation Center, Dar Al Shifaa Hospital, the Central Laboratory and all local humanitarian offices were attacked and put out of service. The already vulnerable population of over 380,000 has little or no access to medical care at a time when injuries and casualties are piling up.
Local contacts are describing areas as “ghost towns” as thousands were forced to leave to “safer” areas. 46 people were killed today bringing the death toll from February 18 through March 8 to well over 1000, with thousands wounded.Yesterday, there was a suspected chlorine attack making it the fifth suspected chemical attack on Ghouta in 2018, hundreds were affected by the attacks.
Dr. Ghanem Tayara, Chair of UOSSM International said, “Why is the world not stopping the carnage in Ghouta? Children are coming into medical facilities with horrific injuries. The parents and doctors are beyond themselves with stress and grief. With most medical facilities shut down, these untreated injuries will spiral into amputations and death. The slaughter of the people is unacceptable and I am disgusted with the world’s complacency. This is not war, it’s murder.”
