'Catastrophic Medical Situation' in Syria's Aleppo, Says NGO
Hospitals in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo are overwhelmed by injured civilians after a string of regime air raids, an aid group said Tuesday, calling the situation "catastrophic".
More than 500 people have been killed in Aleppo province over the past two weeks as the Syrian regime drops explosives-packed barrels on residential areas and on schools, markets and hospitals, Medecins du Monde said in a statement.
The aid group, which supports seven medical networks in the war-torn country, said its partners on the ground in Aleppo had described a "catastrophic medical situation".
"I will forever be haunted by what I have seen these past few days," one Syrian doctor was quoted as saying.
"It's even worse than chemical weapons, as at least (with those) you die in one piece."
Most hospitals are packed with patients and are running short of medical gear, the group said.
"Ambulances are damaged, destroyed or don't have fuel anymore," it added.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based watchdog, at least 151 children were among those killed in the province since December 15.
More than 126,000 people have died in Syria since the beginning of the conflict in March 2011.
Source: Agence France Presse
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