Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Damaged by Air Strikes, East Aleppo Hospitals Shutdown Services | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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People walk amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike on the rebel-held neighborhood of al-Kalasa in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, on April 28, 2016.
-AFP PHOTO / AMEER ALHALBI


Hospitals facing complete deadlock in Syria’s rebel-held eastern Aleppo are officially out of service after days of heavy air strikes. The shutdown was pronounced by the Aleppo health directorate and the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

Elizabeth Hoff, the WHO representative in Syria, said a U.N.-led group of aid agencies based over the border in Turkey “confirmed today that all hospitals in eastern Aleppo are out of service,” reported Reuters.

“This destruction of infrastructure essential to life leaves the besieged, resolute people, including all children and elderly men and women, without any health facilities offering life-saving treatment … leaving them to die,” said Aleppo’s health directorate in a statement sent to Reuters by an opposition official.

Medics, residents and rebels in eastern Aleppo say hospitals have been deeply damaged by pro-regime air strikes and helicopter barrel bombs in recent days, including direct hits on the buildings.

Health and rescue workers have previously been able to bring damaged hospitals back into operation but a lack of supplies is making that harder.

Intense air strikes have battered eastern Aleppo since Tuesday when Syrian pro-regime forces, comprising Iran proxy militia and Russian air power, resumed operations after a pause lasting weeks.