A/HRC/33/55 57. On 31 March, government forces aerially bombarded the only hospital in the Damascus suburb of Deir al-Asafir. Over 30 people are believed to have been killed, almost half of whom were children. Dozens were injured. On the same day, shelling from proGovernment forces hit the hospital of the Al-Yamedia camp for internally displaced persons in Latakia. While no casualties were recorded, the attack put the hospital out of operation. 58. In none of the reported attacks were military targets present near the hospitals. The hospitals and clinics attacked were all reportedly serving their humanitarian function. 59. Medical personnel have also been killed by sniper fire. On 25 March, a sniper killed Dr. Mohammed Khous as he was leaving Zabadani field hospital in Rif Damascus. Snipers also fired at those trying to rescue him. Dr. Khous was reportedly Zabadani’s last doctor. Civilians have reportedly died from injuries sustained by sniper fire in Zabadani because of a lack of doctors and medicine at the hospital. 60. Members of the Syrian Civil Defence, who provide medical aid at the point of injury and who transport the wounded to nearby medical centres, have been killed in air strikes by pro-Government forces. On 26 April, an aerial attack, reportedly by pro-Government forces, struck a Civil Defence centre in Atarib, Aleppo. Five Civil Defence volunteers were killed and three were injured. On 15 June, an aerial strike hit a Civil Defence centre in Kafr Takharim, Idlib, killing a boy. The centre was destroyed, as were all the Civil Defence vehicles used for rescue and transport of the wounded. 61. As noted above, government forces blocked medical supplies and equipment from entering besieged areas, including Daraya, Douma, Madaya and Zabadani, in Rif Damascus, and the Al-Waer neighbourhood of Homs. 62. Anti-Government armed groups have also attacked health-care facilities, albeit on a far smaller scale. In February and March, armed groups heavily shelled the Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhood of Aleppo city, held by YPG. On 6 March, rockets fell in the vicinity of the hospital. While the hospital itself was not struck, the rocket fire caused the collapse of several neighbouring buildings, killing over a dozen civilians, including four children. 63. On 3 May, an armed group in the Bani Zeid neighbourhood of Aleppo city launched a rocket attack, striking areas around Doubait maternity hospital in Al-Muhafada neighbourhood. The facade of the hospital was destroyed, as were surrounding businesses. Approximately 15 people were killed, including 3 who were inside the hospital. Twenty people, including hospital staff, were injured. The hospital closed shortly afterwards. 64. ISIL has also attacked hospitals, as part of a wave of suicide bombings on civilian targets, terrorizing the civilian population. On 23 March, five ISIL suicide bombers exploded themselves in different locations in Jableh, Latakia. While the sequence of the bombing is disputed, it appears that, as casualties from the first two explosions were rushed to nearby hospitals, the third bomber exploded himself in front of the Al-As’ad hospital and the fourth, inside the emergency ward of Jableh National Hospital. The bombing inside the National Hospital caused mass casualties, killing 15 members of the medical team and many patients, including those who had been injured in the earlier bombing and who had been transported to the hospital for treatment. Over 50 people were injured. The emergency department was completely destroyed, although the hospital was able to reopen a few days later. 65. In deliberately attacking hospitals, medical units and health-care workers, those responsible have violated international humanitarian law with respect to the duty to care for the sick and wounded, and have committed the war crime of attacking protected objects. 11