Around 60 patients including children were in the facility at the time that what has been identified as a shell hit the southern wing of the compound. The Maraat Al Numan health compound served up to 300,000 people living in the area, with on average 200 visitors daily, offering critical help to hundreds of children and their families. This included essential nutritional, delivery, dental and vaccination services among others.
The full extent of the damaged is still being assessed but the facility is currently out of service.
Amjad Yamin, a Spokesperson for Save the Children said, "Yet again, civilians are paying the price of a long, deadly conflict. This facility was offering critical help to hundreds of men, women and children. We stand with our partner Syria Relief and their staff who were on site when the facility was hit and we call for the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers,”
“The area has been relatively calm since the announcement of the ceasefire, and the displaced populations had started returning, now this may send them back,”
Save the Children has been supporting this compound since 2016 through its partner Syria Relief.
Save the Children is calling on all parties to stop this war on children. The Syrian conflict must not be allowed to become the moment where the violation of fundamental human rights and international laws designed to protect vulnerable children becomes the new normal.
Save the Children is calling on all parties to the conflict to respect International Humanitarian Law and human rights law, and to place the protection of civilians first. Schools, hospitals and other vital civilian infrastructure must be protected from attacks.
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