Assad Regime & Russian Airstrikes on Hospitals Continue Unabated

Press Statement

Syrian Coalition

Media Office

November 26, 2016

Hospitals and health facilities have been a constant target of the ongoing bombing campaign by the Assad regime and the Russian forces who have significantly escalated aerial attacks on rebel-held areas over the past month. Hardly a day goes by without a hospital or a medical center being fully or partially destroyed by the deliberate and systematic attacks. These attacks are clearly aimed at killing every aspect of life in the rebel-held areas.

The administration of Zahra Women Hospital in Aleppo confirmed that the hospital was put out of service on Friday after being directly hit by the regime airstrikes. Zahra Women Hospital is one of scores of health facilities in Aleppo that have been bombed and one of hundreds throughout Syria.

Today, and due the siege and the deliberate targeting of hospitals, health workers and medics are struggling around the clock to provide healthcare to the sick and the wounded. They are desperately trying to devise urgent plans and solutions to continue their work, showing miraculous courage and dedication in the face of an almost impossible task.

The Syrian Coalition holds the Assad regime as well as the Russian and Iranian invaders fully responsibility for the continued targeting of hospitals, medical centers, nursing homes, and blood banks. The Coalition urges the international community and humanitarian and legal organizations to assume their responsibilities towards the protection of medical facilities as it stresses the need to hold perpetrators of these heinous attacks to account.

The Coalition calls for an international investigation into the continued, systematic targeting of health facilities in the besieged eastern Aleppo and throughout Syria. It is incumbent that action is taken urgently to stop these attacks and hold the perpetrators to account. The Coalition also calls for immediate increased support for the medical sector in the besieged areas across Syria.

May our wounded recover, our detainees be free, and our fallen heroes rest in peace.

Long live Syria and its people, free and with honor.