Tens of thousands back doctor's mission to secure Obama, Merkel's help in Aleppo

A doctor in Syria asks US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to help stop the bombing of civilians and hospitals in Aleppo.

People carry an injured boy after Russian forces staged air-strike over Aleppo's opposition controlled Sukkeri region, Syria on April 28, 2016.(Getty)

People carry an injured boy after Russian forces staged air-strike over Aleppo's opposition controlled Sukkeri region, Syria on April 28, 2016.(Getty) Source: Getty Images

Physician Hamza Al Khatib has launched a  to "help those in need" in the Syrian city of Aleppo.

The doctor started the campaign, which has received more than 97,000 signatures, after claiming that US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had failed to respond to a letter he had written which asked them to intervene.

“We have a duty to remain and help. All we ask now is for Obama and Merkel to do their duty, too," Dr Al Khatib stated in the petition.

"That is why I've started this petition. Obama and Merkel are not listening to my voice alone."

Dr Al Khatib said he believed the US and Germany had "influence in the international corridors of power" to make a difference.

"We do not need their tears or sympathy or even prayers, we need them to act," he said.
"We need them to prove that they are the friends of Syrians."

There have been 42 attacks on medical facilities in Syria over the past month, he said, and 15 of those were hospitals in which he and his colleagues had worked.

He claims "at this rate, our medical services in Aleppo could be completely destroyed in a month", which he said could leave 300,000 people to die.

In the past three weeks, more than 460 people have been killed in clashes between government forces, backed by Russia, and rebels, of which 57 were children and more than 100 were women.

Footage obtained last week by opposition media group Aleppo Media Centre showed a after an airstrike in al-Qaterji neibourhood, Aleppo, which quickly went viral.

The brother of the child later .

On Sunday, amateur footage emerged of a young girl singing before an a loud explosion forced her to stop and take cover.
Aleppo, the second largest city in the country, has been at the centre of the conflict since 2012 when insurgents conquered areas of the city.

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Published 23 August 2016 2:04pm
Updated 23 August 2016 7:58pm
Source: SBS News


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