Edinburg, TX- The Amal Charity Hospital in Idlib, Syria was put out of service after being targeted with four airstrikes on Saturday afternoon. Four medical staff and nine civilians (including children) were killed in the attack, six hospital staff were also wounded.
Two missiles from the air strike directly targeted and hit the hospital while two others hit nearby. The strike caused damage to 70% of the hospital, completely destroying the operating room, the intensive care room, the waiting room, and offices for pediatric and internal medicine. An ambulance, the generator, and 80% of medical equipment was also destroyed.
The hospital provided care to 70,000 citizens in the area (Millis) and surrounding areas, in the northwest area of the Idlib countryside.
Medical facilities and hospitals have been increasingly targeted in the past few months in July alone 43 medical facilities were targeted according to P4HR. “This is another great loss for the health care system in Syria, and another great loss for the citizens of Idlib as the hospital provided free health care to 250-300 patients on a daily basis, many of which were children. This attack means many children will no longer have access to desperately needed medical care, said Dr. Khaula Sawah CEO of UOSSM USA.
“We urge the international community to take a stand and put a stop to these war crimes, it is a violation of international law to target any medical facility, ” she added.