LONDON (AlertNet) - More than half Syria's 88 hospitals have been damaged in the country's bitter civil war, and nearly one third are out of service, making it difficult for people to get medical care, Syrian and U.N. health officials have reported.
December data from Syria's health ministry, released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday, shows that 48 hospitals have been damaged, of which 27 are no longer operating. Syria's 1,919 public health centres have been less severely affected - around 10 percent are damaged and 6 percent closed.
Parts of the country hit by the fiercest battles between government and government-backed forces and opposition fighters are the worst affected. In eastern Deir al-Zor governorate, only one of the six public hospitals is functioning, while in Homs, just seven of 13 public hospitals are in service. In Deraa, three of nine public hospitals are operating but the rest are offering only partial services.
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