Hailey Tran
Hospitals in Aleppo have been under fire for years, with warplanes and airstrikes specifically targeting them. This has crippled the medical infrastructure of Syria's largest city, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without access to hospital care. The attacks have transformed medical facilities into deadly spaces, endangering both medical professionals and their patients. The few remaining hospitals are overwhelmed and lacking essential resources, with doctors reporting that they just can't cope anymore.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Hospitals left in Aleppo | As of 2016, there are no hospitals functioning in the besieged area of the city. |
| Attacks on hospitals | Since March 2011, there have been 545 attacks on 250 medical facilities throughout Syria. Hospitals in Aleppo have been specifically targeted by warplanes. |
| Impact on medical professionals | There are fewer than 30 doctors left in Aleppo. |
| Impact on patients | More than 250,000 people are without access to surgery or specialist care. |
| International response | The international aid group UOSSM has been waiting outside Aleppo's borders with trucks full of supplies and medical aid, but they are blocked by Assad's forces. |
| Underground facilities | Most facilities have moved underground to basement clinics, but even these have been targeted by recent attacks. |
| Al-Quds Hospital | Al-Quds was the last hospital standing in Aleppo but suffered numerous indiscriminate attacks. |
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What You'll Learn
- Hospitals in Aleppo have been targeted by warplanes and airstrikes since 2011
- The Syrian government and its allies have perpetrated most of the attacks on medical facilities
- Hospitals have been forced to operate from basement clinics to avoid aerial bombings
- Medical workers in Aleppo are exhausted, drained, and unable to cope with the situation
- The international community has been accused of remaining silent about the situation
Hospitals in Aleppo have been targeted by warplanes and airstrikes since 2011
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported that hospitals in eastern Aleppo had been hit in over 30 separate attacks since the siege began in July 2016, with no possibility of sending help or supplies. MSF also reported that both of eastern Aleppo's two main surgical facilities, which they supported, had been damaged five times, leaving one out of service since October 1, 2016. MSF's operations manager in the Middle East, Pablo Marco, stated that "the Syrian and Russian governments have taken this battle to a new level."
In April 2016, an MSF-supported hospital in Aleppo was hit by an airstrike, resulting in the deaths of at least 14 patients and staff, including one of the city's last paediatricians. Local sources blamed Syrian or Russian warplanes, while the Syrian military denied targeting the hospital.
By September 2016, only two main hospitals were still functioning in Aleppo, with 135 hospital beds available. The destruction of these two hospitals further reduced the capacity to treat patients, with children and other civilians being treated on the floor in corridors.
By November 2016, the last four functioning hospitals in eastern Aleppo were hit by airstrikes and ceased operations, leaving up to 250,000 residents without access to hospital care. This marked the most deadly day for the medical system in Syria's second city, which had been systematically targeted by Russian and regime jets.
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The Syrian government and its allies have perpetrated most of the attacks on medical facilities
Since the Syrian Civil War began in 2011, hospitals in Aleppo have been targeted by warplanes, artillery strikes, and other attacks. These attacks have left the city with little to no access to medical care. According to humanitarian groups, warplanes have been specifically targeting hospitals in Aleppo for years, with the international aid group UOSSM documenting 545 attacks on 250 medical facilities throughout Syria since 2011. Amnesty International has also reported at least six deliberate attacks on hospitals, medical centres, and clinics in the northern part of the Aleppo Countryside governorate in a 12-week period.
The Syrian government and its allies, including Russia, have perpetrated most of the attacks on medical facilities in Aleppo. Amnesty International researchers found that Syrian government forces and their allies were responsible for the overwhelming majority of attacks on medical facilities. Hospitals in opposition-controlled areas around Aleppo became a primary target for Russian and Syrian government forces, eliminating a vital lifeline for civilians and forcing them to flee. Syrian government forces have also persecuted doctors and their families for treating rebels.
The targeting of hospitals by the Syrian government and its allies amounts to war crimes, causing immense suffering and endangering the lives of thousands of people in Aleppo. The destruction of medical facilities has left residents without access to trauma care, major surgeries, and consultations for serious health conditions. The situation has been further exacerbated by the difficulty in delivering aid to the besieged city.
The Syrian government's strategy of targeting hospitals is intended to empty towns and villages of residents. By attacking hospitals and infrastructure, the government aims to make it impossible for people to survive in these areas, forcing them to leave. This tactic has been witnessed in other cities as well, such as Anadan, where most residents fled after the field hospital and medical centre were attacked.
The attacks on hospitals in Aleppo have had devastating consequences, with medical workers struggling to cope with the high number of civilians in need of medical treatment. The reduction in the number of health workers, combined with limited supplies and equipment, has resulted in a critical situation where patients are treated on the floor in corridors, and children have died due to a lack of intensive care beds.
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Hospitals have been forced to operate from basement clinics to avoid aerial bombings
Hospitals in Aleppo have been the target of airstrikes and artillery strikes for years, with humanitarian groups reporting that warplanes have been specifically targeting medical facilities. As a result, most hospitals have moved underground, operating from basement clinics to avoid aerial bombings. However, even these fortified facilities have not been spared, with recent attacks using potent explosives that have taken them out of commission.
The situation has left over 250,000 residents without access to hospital care, with only small clinics providing limited health services. The lack of access to trauma care, major surgeries, and consultations for serious health conditions has further exacerbated the suffering of the population, who already had precarious and steadily declining access to healthcare due to the conflict.
Before the recent attacks, there were only four functioning hospitals in eastern Aleppo, and the destruction of these facilities has drastically reduced the capacity to treat patients. Children and civilians are being treated in corridors, and there is a shortage of intensive care beds, leading to preventable deaths. The remaining health workers are exhausted, both physically and emotionally, and the supply lines cut off, making it difficult to obtain medical supplies, equipment, fuel, and even water for the remaining facilities.
The international community has been appealed to for assistance, with aid groups waiting outside Aleppo's borders with trucks full of supplies. However, access to the city remains blocked by Assad's forces, preventing the delivery of medical aid and the evacuation of patients in need of care. The situation has been described as a "black spot in the history of the world," with the silence and inaction of the global community being heavily criticized.
The few remaining doctors and medical staff in Aleppo face persecution by the Syrian government, especially if they are found to be treating rebels. They work tirelessly under constant fear and exhaustion, knowing that their presence provides some hope to those affected by the conflict. Despite their best efforts, the situation has become dire, with limited resources and an ever-increasing number of injuries and casualties.
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Medical workers in Aleppo are exhausted, drained, and unable to cope with the situation
The situation in Aleppo has been dire for years, with hospitals being specifically targeted and medical workers being killed. In 2016, the Syrian government launched a military campaign to take control of the city, and by the end of that year, it had declared success. During this period, the number of medical personnel killed in Aleppo was at its highest, with 29 deaths recorded in 2016, dropping to five in 2017, and two in 2018 and 2019 combined.
The targeting of medical personnel and infrastructure is a violation of international humanitarian law, and it has had devastating consequences for the people of Aleppo. As of 2016, there were fewer than 30 doctors left in the city, serving a population of 270,000 people. The remaining medical workers are exhausted, drained, and unable to cope with the influx of patients.
"There has been a reduction in the number of health workers able to stay at their posts, and those who did are exhausted, drained physically and emotionally," said Dr. Rick Brennan, the Director of Emergency Risk Management and Humanitarian Response of the World Health Organization (WHO). "The work they are doing is beyond heroic. For them to stay at their post under those conditions deserves unending admiration and respect."
The situation has only worsened since then. In November 2016, the last four functioning hospitals in eastern Aleppo were hit by airstrikes, leaving over 250,000 residents without access to hospital care. With no functioning hospitals, those requiring medical attention are now entirely dependent on small clinics, which cannot provide trauma care, major surgeries, or consultations for serious health conditions.
The few remaining medical workers in Aleppo are doing their best to provide care, but they are exhausted and drained, both physically and emotionally. They are unable to cope with the influx of patients and the limited resources available to them. The constant fear of bombings and attacks adds to their stress and prevents them from providing adequate care. "There was no way to sleep — if you sleep, people die. We were always exhausted," said one doctor, reflecting on the impossible situation faced by medical workers in Aleppo.
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The international community has been accused of remaining silent about the situation
The UN has called these attacks "war crimes" and stated that they should focus the international community on the "continued, cynical disregard for the laws of war by the warring parties in Syria." Despite this, no significant action has been taken to stop the attacks or hold those responsible accountable. The UN Security Council has been accused of failing to uphold its duty, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Syrian medical personnel and thousands of patients.
The few remaining medical personnel in Aleppo continue to plead for an end to the attacks and for access to essential medical supplies and equipment. They risk their lives to provide healthcare to those in need, despite the unrelenting violence and direct threats to their lives. The Syrian government has been accused of using attacks on the healthcare system as a weapon of war, with Russia joining in the illegal assault on healthcare facilities.
The international community's silence in the face of these atrocities has been described as a "black spot in the history of the world." With the world failing to act, the people of Aleppo are left to suffer the consequences, struggling to access even the most basic healthcare services. The situation in Aleppo serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for global action to protect civilians and uphold international law, even in the face of complex and protracted conflicts.
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Frequently asked questions
No. As of 2016, hospitals in Aleppo have been targeted by airstrikes, leaving 250,000 people without access to surgery or specialist care.
Since the Syrian conflict began, Syrian government forces and their allies have been responsible for the majority of the 583 verified attacks on medical facilities in Syria. Warplanes have been specifically targeting hospitals in Aleppo for years.
There are fewer than 30 doctors left in Aleppo. Medical workers on the ground reported that every single hospital in East Aleppo has been bombed at least once.
