Aleppo:.Aleppo bombs leave quarter million 'Living in Hell ' and Without Hospital Care

Aleppo Bombs Leave Quarter Million ‘Living in Hell’ and Without Hospital Care

By ALISSA J. RUBIN and HWAIDA SAAD

BEIRUT, Lebanon — The remaining hospitals on the rebel-held side of Aleppo, Syria, have been badly damaged and forced to stop providing care amid an intensifying bombardment, according to the World Health Organization.

Bombs launched by the Syrian government over the past three days seriously damaged two general hospitals that were providing trauma care in the war zone and hit the only children’s hospital, according to doctors, nurses and residents.

The destruction left more than a quarter-million people in eastern Aleppo without hospital care, the W.H.O. said. It is unclear if the hospitals will be able to reopen.

“Although some health services are still available through small clinics, residents no longer have access to trauma care, major surgeries, and other consultations for serious health conditions,” the health organization said in a statement issued Sunday.

Dr. Omar, the last neurosurgeon in eastern Aleppo, who declined to provide his full name out of fear for his safety, sounded desperate when reached at the height of the bombing on Friday.

“We no longer have hospitals to operate in,” he said. “You can’t imagine what it’s like living in Aleppo right now. It feels like we are living in hell. Our neighborhoods are in flames, and bombs are raining down from the sky. We urgently call on the international community to send help.”

Humanitarian agencies have described the attacks on health care facilities as deliberate.

The rebel-held area of the city is surrounded by government forces and has already run out of most food rations, medicines, bandages and fuel. It has little water.

“The regime is trying to cut off the city,” said Abu Roma, who uses a nom de guerre and is a rebel commander with the Zinki group, which opposes President Bashar al-Assad of Syria.

“I would say the worst scenario is that we will be martyrs,” he said, referring to all those remaining in the rebel-held area.