Highlights
Healthcare system in eastern Aleppo on the verge of collapse
Nearly 40 per cent of Syrians are food insecure
Several inter-agency cross-line convoys delayed, aborted or unable to proceed
An estimated 30 per cent of persons killed or injured in eastern Aleppo City are children
Limited commercial access permitted into Al Wa’er
Start of new school year delayed in eastern Aleppo City and Madaya/Bquine
Situation Overview
Following the Government of Syria’s (GoS) announcement of an offensive on Aleppo, hostilities in eastern Aleppo City have continued unabated and the civilian population, and vital civilian infrastructure, continue to suffer greatly due to continuous airstrikes and shelling. The ongoing shelling and airstrikes on eastern Aleppo City have caused a large number of casualties. Only five hospitals are currently in service in eastern Aleppo City, struggling to respond to health needs with only 29 medical doctors remaining and medical teams working 24/7. The Education Directorate in eastern Aleppo City announced the delayed start of the new school year for 2 October, despite ongoing shelling.
According to local health officials in eastern Aleppo City, between 23 and 29 September, nearly 30 per cent of both people killed (106 out of 338 people) and people injured were children (261 out of 846 persons).
On 20 September, four medical personnel were killed and one nurse was severely injured after multiple airstrikes destroyed a medical centre south of Aleppo City. On 28 September, Al-Sakhour and Omar Bin Abdul Al-Aziz hospitals were reportedly badly damaged. Following that incident, the Al-Sakhour Hospital was again damaged by three consecutive airstrikes on 1 October, rendering it out of service. Reportedly, two civilians were killed and 13 more injured. On 3 October, the Al-Sakhour Hospital was again badly hit by airstrikes, reportedly killing seven people, including two medical staff and five construction workers, who were repairing damage from earlier attacks. Prior to the attacks, the Al-Sakhour Hospital provided 2,815 consultations, 505 hospital admissions, 235 major surgeries and 580 trauma cases per month.
In a statement on 2 October, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien (ERC), noted the race against time to save civilians in eastern Aleppo City, highlighting the ‘ferocious pummelling’ of eastern Aleppo City, where an estimated 275,000 people are besieged. The ERC also pointed out that ‘indiscriminate bombing and shelling continues in a shocking and unrelenting manner, killing and maiming civilians, subjecting them to a level of savagery that no human should have to endure’. He reiterated demands for a cessation of all actions that could result in loss of civilian life or damage to essential civilian infrastructure, a medical evacuation system for eastern Aleppo City and safe, full, regular and unimpeded humanitarian access to eastern Aleppo City, as obliged under international humanitarian law.
On 28 September, three White Helmets staff were killed in rural Al-Bab town while responding to an aerial attack. Over the reporting period, two inter-agency cross-line convoys had to be aborted either for reasons of security along the route or as a result of the violation of previously agreed protocols. During the month of September, the Directorate of Health reported 470 injured persons and 81 casualties, including 32 children and 15 women in western Aleppo City, due to of shelling from the east of the city.
On 30 September, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon established an internal UN Board of Inquiry to investigate the deadly attack on the humanitarian aid convoy in Syria and urged all parties to fully cooperate. On 19 September, at least 18 people, including the head of SARC in Big Orem, were killed. The warehouse, where supplies were unloaded, as well as a nearby clinic, were also severely damaged. The Board of Inquiry will ascertain the facts of the incident and report to the Secretary-General, who will review the report and decide what further steps to take.
