Aleppo

The humanitarian crisis in eastern Aleppo is tragic but not unimaginable or surprising—it is the result of years of inaction by the international community, writes Physicians for Human Rights researcher Elise Baker.

The last week has seen the surge of violence in Syria’s city of Aleppo, in which every hospital in the rebel-held east Aleppo has been damaged to the extent of putting them out of service (a statement confirmed by the World Health Organization), leaving more than 250,000 men, women, and children living in east Aleppo without access to health care. In light of this, the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) reaffirms its firm stance against violations of International Humanitarian Law and attacks on health care workers, facilities, and systems.

An air strike hit a hospital in the rebel-held Syrian village of Awaijel, west of Aleppo, killing at least one person in the early hours. This was one day after attacks on two other hospitals in the region.

Coalition member Syrian American Medical Society reports that its largest trauma hospital in eastern Aleppo City was destroyed after a bunker buster bomb landed at the front entrance. The bomb killed three maintenance workers and injured a nurse and ambulance driver. Only five hospitals remain operational in besieged Aleppo to care for a population of 300,000 civilians, including more than 85,000 children.

Only 11 ambulances for 250 thousand people remain in besieged eastern Aleppo and at least five have been hit by bombs in the past month, wounding drivers and first aid providers.