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| Aleppo hospitals are latest casualty in attacks by the Syrian regime Aleppo hospitals are latest casualty in attacks by the Syrian regime | |
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| The airstrikes on two Aleppo hospitals in the early hours of Wednesday morning were just the latest in hundreds of attacks on medical centres across Syria over the past five years, a pattern of destruction undermining international protection for doctors and their patients. | The airstrikes on two Aleppo hospitals in the early hours of Wednesday morning were just the latest in hundreds of attacks on medical centres across Syria over the past five years, a pattern of destruction undermining international protection for doctors and their patients. |
| The campaign group Physicians for Human Rights has documented nearly 400 attacks on 269 different hospitals since the war in Syria began, 90% of them by the government and its allies. | The campaign group Physicians for Human Rights has documented nearly 400 attacks on 269 different hospitals since the war in Syria began, 90% of them by the government and its allies. |
| The pace of strikes on hospitals appears to have risen alongside the intensity of the fighting for Aleppo, Syria’s largest city before the war and a key strategic and propaganda target for forces loyal to president Bashar al-Assad. | The pace of strikes on hospitals appears to have risen alongside the intensity of the fighting for Aleppo, Syria’s largest city before the war and a key strategic and propaganda target for forces loyal to president Bashar al-Assad. |
| “While we have yet to corroborate all reports from this summer, we can say we’ve seen an unprecedented number of reports on attacks against hospitals and medical facilities throughout the summer months,” said a spokesman for Physicians for Human Rights. | “While we have yet to corroborate all reports from this summer, we can say we’ve seen an unprecedented number of reports on attacks against hospitals and medical facilities throughout the summer months,” said a spokesman for Physicians for Human Rights. |
| Russia and Syria deny targeting civilians in Syria, and accuse opposition fighters of using human shields. Bombs dropped on schools, hospitals, market places and other civilian targets, however, suggest a concerted campaign, and the civilian toll from the attacks at least points to a willingness to accept huge suffering in pursuit of military goals. | Russia and Syria deny targeting civilians in Syria, and accuse opposition fighters of using human shields. Bombs dropped on schools, hospitals, market places and other civilian targets, however, suggest a concerted campaign, and the civilian toll from the attacks at least points to a willingness to accept huge suffering in pursuit of military goals. |
| Amnesty International’s Syria researcher Neil Sammonds believes the hospital bombings are part of a campaign to drive rebels out by making the besieged city a wasteland. “They aim to make life as hard as possible for opponents, their families, their neighbourhoods. Kill them or force them to leave,” he said. | Amnesty International’s Syria researcher Neil Sammonds believes the hospital bombings are part of a campaign to drive rebels out by making the besieged city a wasteland. “They aim to make life as hard as possible for opponents, their families, their neighbourhoods. Kill them or force them to leave,” he said. |
| “We documented early this year how airstrikes were targeting hospitals, clinics and [refugee] shelters in northern Aleppo. We believe it was in order not only to force people to flee from these areas, but also those coming from further south would not be able to stop there. The areas would be made uninhabited and uninhabitable.” | “We documented early this year how airstrikes were targeting hospitals, clinics and [refugee] shelters in northern Aleppo. We believe it was in order not only to force people to flee from these areas, but also those coming from further south would not be able to stop there. The areas would be made uninhabited and uninhabitable.” |
| Attacking hospitals and civilians has a grim military logic, said Samir Puri, a lecturer in the department of war studies at King’s College London. “It’s heartless to think about these things but if you interpret it in a purely military terms, this is a rebellion that is closely mingled into a civilian population,” he said. | Attacking hospitals and civilians has a grim military logic, said Samir Puri, a lecturer in the department of war studies at King’s College London. “It’s heartless to think about these things but if you interpret it in a purely military terms, this is a rebellion that is closely mingled into a civilian population,” he said. |
| “If there is a total collapse of any kind of trauma care, those are the sort of things that can contribute to collapsing morale very suddenly. The morale of a besieged force can look robust until it collapses. | “If there is a total collapse of any kind of trauma care, those are the sort of things that can contribute to collapsing morale very suddenly. The morale of a besieged force can look robust until it collapses. |
| “Unfortunately there are precedents showing that extreme force can be effective in shoring up power. I’m not saying that this logic is moral or humane.” | “Unfortunately there are precedents showing that extreme force can be effective in shoring up power. I’m not saying that this logic is moral or humane.” |
| The attacks have been widely condemned by western diplomats and governments, but accusations of war crimes do nothing to halt the destruction. “Syrians always say the world supports them with ‘just words’,” said Sammonds. | The attacks have been widely condemned by western diplomats and governments, but accusations of war crimes do nothing to halt the destruction. “Syrians always say the world supports them with ‘just words’,” said Sammonds. |
| Human rights groups and charities are dispirited about what they can do to stem the bloodshed after campaigning last year for a UN security council resolution to protect civilians only for it to be ignored in many conflicts – not just that ravaging Syria. | Human rights groups and charities are dispirited about what they can do to stem the bloodshed after campaigning last year for a UN security council resolution to protect civilians only for it to be ignored in many conflicts – not just that ravaging Syria. |
| Dozens of hospitals in Yemen have been bombed by a Saudi-led coalition, and in Afghanistan last year a US aircraft bombed a Médecins Sans Frontières hospital, killing at least 42 people. | Dozens of hospitals in Yemen have been bombed by a Saudi-led coalition, and in Afghanistan last year a US aircraft bombed a Médecins Sans Frontières hospital, killing at least 42 people. |
| “We know hospitals are being attacked more and more, and in many cases they seem to be deliberate attacks. It’s a violation of the law of war, and needs to be prosecuted as a war crime. We are calling for accountability,” said Human Rights Watch researcher for Syria, Hadeel al-Shalchi. | “We know hospitals are being attacked more and more, and in many cases they seem to be deliberate attacks. It’s a violation of the law of war, and needs to be prosecuted as a war crime. We are calling for accountability,” said Human Rights Watch researcher for Syria, Hadeel al-Shalchi. |
| Russia’s veto power in the UN security council, and the west’s reluctance to increase its military role in Syria, limit its ability to go beyond criticism of Russia or Syria in any effort to enforce those laws. | Russia’s veto power in the UN security council, and the west’s reluctance to increase its military role in Syria, limit its ability to go beyond criticism of Russia or Syria in any effort to enforce those laws. |
| “Justice is about the ability to actually enforce punishment on a perpetrator,” said Puri. “The question is does the west really have the ability to dictate what is proportionate and what is not in wars in which they do not have a direct stake, and the answer for now would appear be no. Syria has become a contest of who can bring the most force to bear, awful as it is to say.” | “Justice is about the ability to actually enforce punishment on a perpetrator,” said Puri. “The question is does the west really have the ability to dictate what is proportionate and what is not in wars in which they do not have a direct stake, and the answer for now would appear be no. Syria has become a contest of who can bring the most force to bear, awful as it is to say.” |
| Activists on the ground have responded by trying to spread awareness of the bloodshed. Satellite internet connections mean that even from besieged Aleppo photographs and video can be beamed out to the world within minutes of a bombing. | Activists on the ground have responded by trying to spread awareness of the bloodshed. Satellite internet connections mean that even from besieged Aleppo photographs and video can be beamed out to the world within minutes of a bombing. |
| That presents both an opportunity and a risk, said Andre Heller Pérache, spokesman for MSF and former head of mission in Yemen. | That presents both an opportunity and a risk, said Andre Heller Pérache, spokesman for MSF and former head of mission in Yemen. |
| “The opportunity is that we can collectively observe what is happening and denounce what’s wrong, but the risk is that people will normalise this horror and this is precisely what we don’t want to see,” he said. “We don’t want the bombing of hospitals to become the new normal, or accepted as a part of war.” | “The opportunity is that we can collectively observe what is happening and denounce what’s wrong, but the risk is that people will normalise this horror and this is precisely what we don’t want to see,” he said. “We don’t want the bombing of hospitals to become the new normal, or accepted as a part of war.” |