Syria. Un Ponte Per condemns attacks on healthcare facilities, ambulances and medical teams

12 October 2019, 16:05

Press release

Syria. Un Ponte Per… condemns attacks on healthcare facilities, ambulances and medical teams

An emergency healthcare centre set up by the Kurdish Red Crescent and the Italian NGO Un Ponte Per…, which is still operational in northeast Syria, was bombed in the early hours of 12th October. Two doctors were wounded and the ambulances were damaged. This is in unacceptable and defies Human Rights.

Rome, 12th October 2019 – Between 7 and 8 o’clock this morning, October 12th, a Turkish air raid struck one of the Kurdish Red Crescent (KRC) emergency healthcare centres in Serekanyie / Was Al Ain. Two KRC doctors were wounded and Un Ponte Per (UPP) ambulances sustained damage.

Un Ponte Per… strongly condemns this attack.

KRC have stated that “the healthcare centre has been evacuated. This is not the first time that our ambulance system has been targeted. We are currently unable to reach Serekanye / Ras Al Ain because our ambulances are under attack.”

The Trauma Stabilization Point (TSP), which is vital for fast treatment in cris situations like northeast Syria today, was destroyed. The TSP facilitated early assistance for wounded people before they were transferred to local hospitals; by saving time, they saved many lives.

Attacking medical facilities and healthcare teams is an outrageous violation oh humanitarian rights and the Geneva Convention. It is unacceptable and is limiting the possibility of providing medical assistance to the civilians in their time of dire need.

Un Ponte Per, together with KRC, are demanding that every possible measure is taken to ensure Turkey includes healthcare centres, hospitals and ambulances in their list of non-military locations, which so far has not been the case.

The healthcare centre attacked today is not the first civilian target of Turkey’s attack. Yesterday and today attacks were launched on 2 schools in Tel Abyad, 2 churches in Qahtaniya, 2 hospitals in Serakanye / Ras Al Ain and Kobane, 1 bakery in Qamishlo, and a group  of civilians walking from Raqqa to Tel Abiad; on October 10th, the main water supplier in Hassakeh was targeted, which provided water to all the local hospitals.

Until action is taken to stop these attacks, it will be impossible to help the population and provide the necessary humanitarian aid.