Article 3 – The Targeting of Hospitals in Syria

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/04/opinion/in-syria-doctors-beware.html

The rebel force of the Syrian civil war is composed of mainly working-class citizens. The death toll is estimated to be over 100,000 and growing. Since the beginning, doctors and other medical personnel of Syria have made a substantial effort to save the lives of their native brothers and sisters. In response to this, the Syrian government under President Bashar al-Assad has identified and targeted the centers that treat injured rebels. The result of this is the destruction of over half of the hospitals in Syria, over 470 imprisoned health workers, and thousands of doctors who have been forced to flee Syria.

The strategies used by the Syrian government to eliminate medical personnel are horrendous. In one incident, a recently bombed area was being watched after the bombing by government troops, and when doctors arrived to treat the wounded, the troops moved in and killed the doctors. This is an open issue which goes against the international law stating that intentional attacks against hospitals is a war crime. At the moment, little is being done by the international community against this. At this rate, there may be no hospitals left in Syria by the time the world intervenes.