Moody's upgrades Saudi Arabia's credit rating to Aa3 with stable outlook    Riyadh Metro to begin partial operations next Wednesday: Report    Al Okhdood halts Al Shabab's winning streak with a 1-1 draw in Saudi Pro League    Mahrez leads Al Ahli to victory over Al Fayha in Saudi Pro League    Al Qadsiah hands Al Nassr their first defeat in the Saudi Pro League    Saudi musical marvels takes center stage in Tokyo's iconic opera hall    Downing Street indicates Netanyahu faces arrest if he enters UK    London's Gatwick airport reopens terminal after bomb scare evacuation    Civil Defense warns of thunderstorms across Saudi Arabia until Tuesday    Saudi Arabia, Japan strengthen cultural collaboration with new MoU    Slovak president meets Saudi delegation to bolster trade and investment ties    Saudi defense minister meets with Swedish state secretary    Navigating healthcare's future: Solutions for a sustainable system    Al Khaleej qualifies for Asian Men's Club League Handball Championship final    Sixth foreign tourist dies of suspected methanol poisoning in Laos    Katy Perry v Katie Perry: Singer wins right to use name in Australia    Trump picks Pam Bondi as attorney general after Matt Gaetz withdraws    Al-Jasser: Saudi Arabia to expand rail network to over 8,000 km    Sitting too much linked to heart disease –– even if you work out    Denmark's Victoria Kjær Theilvig wins Miss Universe 2024    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Syria earthquake: Aleppo hospitals overwhelmed by victims
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 16 - 02 - 2023

Hospitals in Aleppo do not have enough room for new patients in the wake of last week's devastating earthquake, a doctor in the Syrian city has told the BBC.
At the Al-Razi Hospital there are too many beds to fit into the wards. They reach end-to-end through corridors and into the chilly courtyard.
"We weren't able to discharge patients from the hospitals even after treating them. The city is damaged and there are no places for them to go," said Dr. Nizar Suleiman, the head of orthopedics.
"Huge numbers of patients came in a short period of time. We have a huge shortage in medicines, so it's really worrying.
"For example, we suffer from a lack of medical equipment to treat fractures. We already suffer from this shortage because of the crisis, and the siege [sanctions] make it worse."
Dr. Nizar Suleiman said there was a huge shortage of medicines due to war and sanctions
More than 4,400 deaths and 7,600 injuries have been reported in north-western Syria since a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck neighboring southern Turkey on Feb. 6, according to the UN.
The damage to Aleppo is widespread. The BBC was given a rare opportunity by the Syrian government to visit there and speak to medical workers.
While walking through the city the BBC team tried to stay quiet, in case we could hear survivors in the broken buildings.
Over a week after the earthquake the chance of finding anyone alive in the rubble is slim. But patients keep arriving at Al-Razi Hospital.
Abu Muhammad, who spent about 24 hours trapped under the rubble, lies among other survivors on a ward. He lost his wife and three of his five children in the earthquake. He looks at a colorful photo on his phone showing his family in happier times.
"They went to Heaven, they are now with God," he says, tearfully.
He is thankful for one thing: "God saved my mobile phone for the sake of remembering them, so at least I can look at their pictures every time I miss them."
"I still can't believe what happened to me. Sometimes I feel like it's a nightmare, a bad dream. It can't be reality."
Tens of thousands of people are now living in churches, mosques or in public spaces and parks after losing their homes.
They told us that during the country's civil war, which has been going on for more than a decade, they had almost expected to lose loved ones or property.
But the earthquake was so unexpected. It struck while they slept, bringing a fresh wave of suffering that they felt was somehow even harder to bear.
The government says its aid effort has been hampered by the economic sanctions that Western powers imposed in response to alleged human rights violations and other abuses committed during the country's 12-year civil war.
The US, UK and EU deny this, saying trade in essential goods and humanitarian assistance are exempt from the sanctions.
However, even though exports of medical supplies to Syria are not specifically sanctioned, international and regional banks fearful of being punished by Western authorities have in the past been reluctant to approve the financial transactions needed by Syrians to purchase them.
On Monday, Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad called for the lifting of all "unilateral coercive measures" during a meeting with the UN Special Envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, Syrian state news agency Sana reported.
The government's key allies in the civil war — Russia, Iran and the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah — have committed aid to government-controlled areas of Syria.
Aid donated by a number of other countries, including China, Sudan, Algeria, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, has also arrived, according to Syrian state media.
The BBC saw Russian aid delivered via lorries to a hub at a church in Aleppo.
And Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported that a sixth shipment of Iranian aid had arrived.
Neighboring Lebanon meanwhile confirmed that it would open its ports and airports for countries wanting to send aid to Syria.
In contrast, opposition-held areas of north-west Syria have only seen a trickle of aid delivered by the UN via Turkey.
Mekdad said the Syrian government was committed to "delivering humanitarian aid to all those in need, in all areas, without any discrimination".
But groups in the opposition enclave are not currently accepting aid from the government, fearing a propaganda victory for Damascus. — BBC


Clic here to read the story from its source.