Date: October 5, 2023
In the early hours of October 5, 2023, the Government of Syria forces escalated their attacks on multiple communities in northwest Syria. These relentless assaults have resulted in a significant toll on innocent civilians, sparking fear and distress among the affected residents. These attacks follow an earlier attack on a military academy in Homs that also claimed civilian lives. SAMS condemns all attacks that target civilians and once again calls on the international community to pursue all available measures to disrupt the pattern of attacks on civilian targets carried out consistently in the northwest.
Preliminary reports reveal that intense shelling has affected at least 39 communities, resulting in the tragic loss of life. The SAMS-supported Al Atareb Hospital and Idleb Central hospitals, as well as the Sarmin Primary Health Center, have received and documented at least five deaths, including two women and a child, and 24 wounded civilians, including seven women and six children. Furthermore, critical civilian infrastructure, such as the main power station in Idleb, has suffered damage due to the attacks. These assaults add to the ongoing challenges faced by civilians in northwest Syria who are already grappling with the aftermath of years of conflict and the recent devastating earthquakes that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria in February.
Dr. Mufaddal Hamadeh, the President of SAMS, said: “SAMS urgently calls upon all parties involved in the conflict to adhere to their commitments under international humanitarian law, which strictly prohibits direct and indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas. The humanitarian situation in northwest Syria is as bad as it has ever been, as communities there face dwindling support as they try to fully recover from the earthquake.”
The recent escalation underscores the volatile and unpredictable nature of the security environment in northwest Syria and across the country, making it exceptionally difficult for the resilient Syrian population to rebuild their lives and establish a sense of normalcy after enduring years of hardship.
SAMS emphasizes the need for immediate attention to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in northwest Syria and urges the international community to take prompt and decisive action to protect the lives and well-being of civilians in the region.
SAMS is a nonprofit, non-political organization that works on the front lines of crisis relief, providing medical and humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable in Syria, its neighboring countries, and beyond. Last year, SAMS provided lifesaving medical services to over 2.3 million.
For more information about SAMS, go to www.sams-usa.net.
