Doctors in Syria

SIR – Every inhumanity is on show in Syria and Iraq. Under the Geneva Convention, warring parties are required to inform each other of their medical facilities so they are ringfenced from conflict. With heinous cynicism, in Syria this information is being used for targeting people.

Most Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations (UOSSM) hospitals have been destroyed by Russian and Syrian attacks. Twelve months ago there were 1,007 doctors in Aleppo; now just 28 remain for 250,000 people.

The Assad regime appears to believe that, without food, water and medical support, these souls will acquiesce in Syrian government “rule”. It seems clear that they will not, and will die in a genocide detailed hour by hour on social media. It is not altogether surprising that, this week, Russia withdrew from the International Criminal Court, where it should be held accountable for its actions.

The international community’s failure to act when Assad killed 1,500 people – mainly women and children – with the nerve gas Sarin on August 21 2013 gave a signal that any horror is acceptable now. The international community must re-engage its moral compass and act.

At Doctors Under Fire, launching today, some of us have great experience of war, some in medicine, some in law. We all want to redress the moral imbalance, and ensure that at least doctors are afforded some sort of protection as they patch up the victims of future conflicts. Dr David Nott Dr Saleyha Ahsan Toby Cadman Hamish de Bretton-Gordon Directors, Doctors Under Fire