Washington, D.C.- Yesterday, April 15, 2018, SAMS-supported Al-Mara’a Hospital in Idlib was subjected to unlawful attacks carried out by armed factions that lasted more than seven hours. Heavy armed clashes started in the vicinity of the hospital and soon moved inside the building, instilling fear and panic in medical staff and their patients, and causing material damages, including the destruction of the hospital’s blood bank.

*This news release has been updated to reflect two additional signatories, bringing the final number to 47.

April 8, 2018

Washington, D.C.- Following a brief ceasefire that only lasted for a couple of days, the city of Douma, East Ghouta, was again subjected to heavy shelling that resulted in dozens of casualties and hundreds of injuries. The attacks included the systematic targeting of medical centers and civil defense teams, resulting in the the destruction of the majority of the civil defense centers and a large number of ambulances and rescue vehicles, heavily paralyzing the medical capacity of the city.

Washington, D.C.- On March 12, 2018, the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), along with 11 other humanitarian organizations working inside Syria, shared the coordinates of 60 health facilities in Syria with UN OCHA. As part of the process, OCHA then shared the coordinates with the parties involved in the Syrian conflict.

Washington D.C., Yesterday, March 7, besieged East Ghouta was subjected to a systematic and unprecedented aerial bombardment campaign using all kinds of internationally prohibited weapons such as napalm, white phosphorus, cluster bombs, and chlorine gas. Our staff the ground reported 93 casualties, many of which were children.

Despite repeated international calls to stop these heinous attacks on East Ghouta and the UN Security Council’s resolution demanding a 30-day cessation-of hostilities, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate on a daily basis.