Throughout the years of conflict, the targeting of hospitals and medical facilities has emerged as one of the most egregious aspects of the war in Syria. Hospitals, including field hospitals, have been systematically and deliberately bombed and attacked. Testimonies from Syrian and international human rights organizations indicate that Syrian government forces and their Russian allies have made healthcare facilities strategic military targets in order to break the resilience of opposition communities and deprive civilians of their right to safe medical care. In some areas, receiving medical treatment has become a punishable crime; simply treating a wounded person can subject a doctor or paramedic to arrest and torture. The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression and other human rights organizations have documented how healthcare workers have been severely punished for carrying out their professional and humanitarian duties. A stark example is the hundreds of doctors killed since 2011, some of whom died under torture or were summarily executed in regime prisons for treating wounded individuals from opposition-held areas. The healthcare system in Syria has witnessed an unprecedented collapse during the conflict, both due to the physical destruction of hospitals and the targeting of medical personnel through killing and arrest, leaving devastating consequences for the population’s right to health and life.

With the support of the Crisis and Support Centre, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
Avec la participation du Centre de crise et de soutien du Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères