On June 20th at 10:50am, an airstrike in Ma’arat Nu’man, Syria , targeted an ambulance operated by the NGO ‘Violet’, killing three staff and one patient. In the strongest terms, UOSSM condemns the killing of aid workers and the deliberate destruction of medical facilities, which is a clear violation of UNSC 2286 and a war crime.  We stand in solidarity with all aid workers operating in Syria and mourn the loss of these courageous paramedics. Since April 28, 25 medical facilities have been bombed and 60 facilities have suspended operations from fear of attack.

UOSSM also condemns the attack on civilian areas of Benin, Idlib on June 19 at 5:40 pm, which killed 11 civilians and wounded six. Three children were among those killed and three women and two children were among the wounded

Violet Press Release: 

On June 20th at 10:50am, Violet were subjected to a violation of international humanitarian law and the fourth Geneva Convention from 1949, which are meant to protect humanitarian workers.

Warplanes directly targeted one of our ambulances in the area of Ma’arat al Nu’man, where our emergency paramedics were on duty and providing crucial rescue assistance to those affected by the attacks. As a result of the attack,     three of our volunteers were killed, their names are Sa’er Bahloul , Mahmoud Al Mustafa and Abdul Kader Nahtan . In addition to one female patient being killed, whom the team had successfully rescued and were on their way to transporting her to hospitals nearby. Furthermore, three other paramedics were seriously injured.

Violet, as a humanitarian organization, strongly condemns the targeting and attack on health facilities, ambulances and humanitarian workers. We in Violet Organization affirm that we are committed to the cause of our families in Syria, regardless of circumstance.

While our staff are working tirelessly in one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world today, We remain committed unceasingly upholding our humanitarian duty towards the four million Syrians in Idleb and Northern Aleppo every single day. Ensuring the protection of humanitarian workers and health facilities via the international community is a necessity for us to continue our work.

We demand the international community to take immediate action to ensure the protection of humanitarian workers as per the Geneva convention and resolution 2286. We at Violet cannot afford to lose more human lives in the name of destruction.

Mercy to our lost staff; patience and strength to their families.

www.violetsyria.org