Tri-Service

COMMENT: Is There Any Hope Left In Aleppo?

Russian and Syrian jets have now destroyed all the hospitals in Aleppo.

Today there are no working hospitals for 250,000 trapped civilians and the end appears to be in sight.

In the remaining rebel-held areas people are 'properly' starving and screaming out for help from the West.

The once sacrosanct protection of all medics, in all war zones, on all sides of conflict, has been blasted to pieces by barrel bombs filled with chemical weapons, napalm, high explosives, and precision-guided missiles on the streets of Syrian towns and cities.

We are in an era where the Geneva Convention and all rules of conflict are completely ignored on the contemporary battlefield.

We see it demonstrated by a member of the Permanent 5, Russia, and once historically great and vaguely democratic Syria, which is directly targeting doctors and medics to break the collective will of the people and to force them into submission or certain death.

In past conflicts, warring parties are required by law to inform each other of their medical facilities in order that they are protectively 'ring-fenced' from the conflict.

In Syria, this information, with the most heinous cynicism, is being used to target people.

The majority of the UOSSM hospitals - 48 in all - have been attacked and destroyed by Russian and Syrian attacks in the past two years.

12 months ago there were 1,007 doctors in Aleppo. There are now just 28 remaining, for 250,000 trapped, starved and bombed people.

It would appear that the regime believes that with no food, water and medical support, these souls will acquiesce to Syrian Government 'rule'.

It seems pretty clear that they will not, and they will die in a genocide being detailed hour-by-hour on social media, which no one can claim ignorance of in the future, when those who stood by or are complicit are held to account.

The failure by the international community to act when Assad broke the 'final taboo' and killed 1,500, mainly women and children, with the abhorrent and deadly nerve gas Sarin on 21 August 2013, gave a signal that any horror is acceptable now to achieve war aims, justifiable or not.

On nine of the last 10 days, the regime has dropped chlorine barrel bombs on Aleppo, killing and injuring many.

Enough is enough. There can be no 'God' that would sanction killing patients in beds and the doctors who treat them.

The international community, and in particular the P5 must re-engage their moral compass and act before all decency disappears completely in the blood flowing out of Syrian hospitals.

There are things which can be done.

Firstly, air drops to the starving. The UK Parliament debated this yesterday (Monday).

Certainly there are dangers, but Russia air drops food and medical aid every day of every week with impunity.

Secondly, aircraft tracking to 'name and shame' jets attacking hospitals is relatively straightforward, and the UK could do it alone with our AWACS jets.

Thirdly, the UN must formally declare No Bomb Zones around hospitals.

The Geneva Convention and the rules of war direct this as sacrosanct.

But it needs enforcing because it is evident that Russia and the Syrian regime do not feel bound by the Geneva Convention in this conflict.

Finally, there should be a 'No Fly Zone' for helicopters over civilian areas.

These helicopters are dropping indiscriminate barrel bombs which are killing children, in particular, in huge numbers and are illegal under every law.

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

For too long in this conflict evil has developed because too many 'good men [and women]' have done nothing to stop it.

At 'Doctors Under Fire' we call on all 'good men and women' to act before faith is lost in humanity and anarchy is left to reign.

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon OBE is a former soldier. He was commanding officer of the UK Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Regiment and NATO's Rapid Reaction CBRN Battalion. He is currently the director at 'Doctors Under Fire'.