Al-Huda Hospital Targeted 02/08/2014 Today marks one of the saddest days in the history of SKT Welfare. It is with the deepest sense of loss that we have to inform our supporters and donors that SKT Welfare’s Al-Huda Hospital in Northern Syria was the target of an aerial bombardment by regime forces this morning. As a result, five people were killed; a doctor, a nurse, two non-medical staff and one patient. A total of fifteen people were injured in the attack, and have been transferred to other facilities for treatment, though we don’t yet know the severity of their injuries. As communicated in a previous press release in January 2014, SKT Welfare had to relocate its hospital away from the Sheikh Najjar industrial district in Eastern Aleppo, pre-empting a direct attack on the building in which the hospital was based. A full evacuation of staff and equipment was possible at that time. Regretfully on this occasion we were not so fortunate, despite the fact that the hospital was situated in a far more secure area. This tragedy reaffirms the very real challenges humanitarian organisations such as SKT Welfare face while operating in the war-torn country that Syria has nightmarishly become. We hope that the UN and world nations will continue to mount pressure on the Syrian regime for safer humanitarian corridors, and to facilitate delivery of healthcare to all people, regardless of their location, and dependent on their need. It is no secret that healthcare professionals and medical facilities are prime targets in this war. This is an ugly reality known to selfless humanitarians working in such hostile conflict zones. In order to serve the most healthcare-deprived parts of the country, it is a risk that our staff at the hospital chose to undertake, for which some have paid the ultimate price, with their lives today. Our thoughts and prayers lie with them and their families for the sacrifice they made in the name of humanity. May God have mercy on them and accept them with a status befitting. As a charity, we have to balance the needs thrust upon us by the shortfall in healthcare that areas such as the one where the hospital was located face, with the risks of operating in these areas. This is a cost-benefit analysis we take very seriously. SKT Welfare consults extensively with its on-the-ground operations managers before sanctioning projects. It is their vital intelligence and micro-analysis which we rely upon to initiate aid delivery, particularly in Syria. Over the last six months, Al-Huda Hospital – functioning in buildings donated to SKT Welfare – has made a significant difference to the lives of Syrians covering an area of thirteen towns and 110 villages. Preliminary feedback reports following todays attack, have revealed that approximately 80% of the medicines and equipment the charity had purchased for the hospital has been recovered undamaged and is already in the process of being moved to safe storage. Over the coming days SKT Welfare will be re-evaluating its strategy and determining the most appropriate next step, whilst ensuring that all the medicine and equipment which has been purchased will continue to benefit the Syrian people. Furthermore, our modus operandi has always been to try and penetrate aid delivery into the areas where the needs are most pressing; this is a goal that we do not intend to abandon. We are conscious of the fact that prior to, and over the course of Ramadan, many generous donations have been made directly in support of the hospital. SKT Welfare will thus ensure that regardless of any proposal regarding the future of Al-Huda Hospital, such funds are deployed towards healthcare related projects it undertakes.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 00:14:38 +0000
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