WHO sounds alarm on attacks on Syrian hospitals

The World Health Organization (WHO) condemned the attacks on five hospitals that took place in Syria on Nov. 13-15, including three hospitals in Western Rural Aleppo and two hospitals in Idleb, a UN spokesman told reporters here Wednesday.

"At least two people were reportedly killed as a result of the attacks and 19 people were wounded, including six medical staff," Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, said at a daily news briefing here.

"Shockingly, such attacks on health in Syria are increasing in both frequency and scale," he said.

Throughout 2016, WHO and partners have documented 126 such attacks across the Middle East country, where a political crisis broke out in March 2011 and was followed by the ongoing civil war.

"WHO once again demands that all parties in the conflict respect the safety and neutrality of health workers, health facilities and medical supplies," Haq said.

"The pattern of attacks indicates that health care is being deliberately targeted in the Syrian conflict," he said. "Such targeting would be a major violation of international law." Enditem