Syrian regime cuts medical aid to sole Daraa clinic

Syrian regime cuts medical aid to sole Daraa clinic
The Syrian regime has forced one of its own state-run clinics to close after cutting off medical aid, a move which residents says is punishment for anti-regime sentiments.
2 min read
15 April, 2019
Syria's revolution began in Daraa in March 2011 [AFP]

The Syrian regime has cut off medical supplies and aid from the sole clinic in Daraa, the city in southern Syria which was the birthplace of the revolution more than eight years ago.

Although Daraa is now nominally under regime control, the regime cut off medical supplies and aid to the state-run clinic, forcing it to close, due to it having received support from "external sources" during the period it was under rebel control, Zaman al-Wasl reported.

As part of an agreement reached with Russia last year when the regime retook control of Daraa, regime forces are not allowed to enter some areas of the southern province, including one of the city's main districts, al-Balad.

The ministry of health has not provided another clinic to provide health services to Daraa residents, who suspect the regime is imposing punitive measures on residents and attempting to force them to travel to areas fully-controlled by the regime where former rebel figures may be easily arrested.

Although the regime claims it cannot deliver medical supplies or aid to the clinic as it is not within its area of control, its ally Russia on Sunday announced the delivery of "four tons of humanitarian aid" to the area.

The Syrian regime is increasingly attempting to circumvent and undermine the reconciliation agreement which grants anti-regime forces nominal control over some areas of Daraa, former rebel leaders say.

Regime facilities in the al-Balad neighbourhood faced attacks from unidentified persons last week.

Both the headquarters of the ruling Baath Party and those of the police chief were attacked with rockets.

Former rebel leaders accuse the regime's intelligence services and military intelligence of staging the attacks in order to fabricate a pretext for the regime to take full control of those areas, SyriaTV reported.

 

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