Syrian Hospitals Being Targeted 'At Previously Unseen Levels'

Aid workers in Syria say there's been an intensification of air attacks over the past 10 days, during which 10 hospitals have received direct hits. 

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon - an adviser to a coalition of medical charities - told the BBC that the attacks had been the most intense for a year:

"This has been at a level, again, we haven't seen.

"There are over 125 children needing life-saving surgery, including three very young children [whose injuries are] too graphic almost to describe.

"A six-month-old who has lost an eye who will die if he doesn't receive surgery and an eight-year-old girl who weighs only 8kg who is dying of malnutrition."

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, who's a former Army officer, said the attacks had been concentrated on the city of Idlib and on Ghouta.

The Syrian and Russian government have denied targeting civilian areas.

According to reports, medical centres hit by recent air strikes include a maternity hospital in the Idlib province, which was temporarily put out of service.

The hospital was reportedly hit three times in four days, with a death toll as high as five on the worst day.

Cover picture courtesy of PA.