Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) has reported that Idlib Maternity and Idlib National hospitals were attacked with airstrikes near their entrances, causing structural damage and civilian casualties.
Fortunately, there were no reports of injuries to either staff or patients, as they were operating from the hospital’s basement under an emergency-only protocol.
Go deeper with GlobalData
On 1 December 2024, an airstrike hit the vicinity of the emergency entrance at Aleppo University Hospital, causing several civilian casualties and injuries.
The hospital had been providing care to those injured during the weekend’s fighting in Aleppo.
A SAMS ambulance driver was among the injured during the attack.
These incidents are part of a larger pattern of violence that has seen nearly 1,000 attacks on healthcare facilities over the past 14 years of conflict in Syria, with 500 medical staff killed, including more than 60 from SAMS.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataThe United Nations has noted that the recent violence has displaced 50,000 civilians.
In response to the heightened risk, SAMS has limited operations to essential care at nine of its medical facilities, impacting thousands of civilians who are now deprived of healthcare.
Other medical agencies in the region have also suspended services.
SAMS president Dr Mufaddal Hamadeh said: “We appeal for calm and a focus on immediate humanitarian relief to care for the most vulnerable.
“Hospitals, schools, and civilians are not targets of war. We all must stand up for common decency and prioritise the needs of the most vulnerable, regardless of which side of the frontline they find themselves.”
On 9 November, a SAMS clinic in Sarmin was attacked, leading to a temporary halt in services.
During the weekend, SAMS dispatched a medical team to Aleppo to evaluate healthcare requirements and collaborate with other medical providers to ensure essential services.
It also deployed its fleet of ambulances to rescue the wounded and has been working to secure medical supplies for the increasing number of trauma patients.
SAMS operates nearly 40 medical facilities in north-west Syria, with a staff of 2,300 providing around 9,000 medical services daily.
