Toronto, ON- On December 13 at three a.m., a UOSSM medical point was hit by an airstrike and fully destroyed in the southern Aleppo countryside. No causalities have been reported. The medical point had an emergency department, which provided first aid and minor surgical procedures. The medical point had six staff (nurses, paramedic, ambulance driver) and it's ambulances were supported by the World Health Organization (WHO . In the strongest terms, UOSSM condemns this attack and all attacks on medical facilities in Syria. "Despite not having any casualties, the loss of this facility will lead to the inevitable suffering of civilians. Where will they turn to for care? These attacks on medical facilities have been occurring for the past 5 years and are repulsive. We ask the international community to enforce International Law and hold perpetrators responsible. " Said Dr. Anas Al Kassem, Canadian Surgeon and UOSSM International board member. #DoctorsInDanger In 2016, according to the UOSSM Syrian Hospitals Report, there were 1004 direct and indirect attacks on Syrian medical facilities. Some were targeted up to 25 times with an average of three attacks per hospital. Petitions were sent to state leaders worldwide: Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau, Angela Merkel and Theresa May. The petition demands that state leaders uphold and enforce humanitarian law:
-
The effective implementation of UN Security Council resolution 2286 (2016)**, which prohibits attacks against medical facilities/ staff/ aid workers during war. That the government makes every effort possible to prevent these attacks and holds perpetrators accountable for war crimes.
-
The immediate opening of a safe, impartial, humanitarian corridor for NGOs to deliver essential aid to healthcare workers and care for neglected populations.
Change.org Petitions:
USA: Donald Trump Take Action To Stop The Targeting Of Hospitals And Medical Staff In Syria
Canada: Justin Trudeau Take Action To Stop The Targeting Of Hospitals And Medical Staff In Syria
UK: Theresa May Take Action To Stop The Targeting Of Hospitals And Medical Staff In Syria
France: Emmanuel Macron Take Action To Stop The Targeting Of Hospitals And Medical Staff In Syria
Germany: Angela Merkel Take Action To Stop The Targeting Of Hospitals And Medical Staff In Syria
http://www.doctorsindanger.com/en/
Media inquiries and interviews please contact : Name: Avi D'Souza Global Director Of Communications Email: press@uossm.org Phone: 001 (647) 528-5029
About UOSSM : UOSSM (Union des Organisations de Secours et Soins Médicaux) provides free medical aid to the people of Syria regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion or political affiliation. UOSSM international, founded by Syrian Doctors around the world, started in 2012 and operates 12 major hospitals and supports 120 clinics inside Syria. UOSSM has performed over 1,000,000 medical treatments inside Syria since inception. www.uossm.org Connect with us UOSSM International | 22 Avenue Saint Clotilde, Geneva, 1205 Switzerland