1.An interview

Studying the problems in Syria, I am always trying to see the situation through the eyes of an ordinary person, a civilian who suffers shooting attacks and airstrikes, landmines and destruction of homes, famine and cold. Thus, for a long time I have been thinking of bringing up a topic of the rescue teams and the medical workers who are selflessly doing their duty, risking their own lives but at the same time mustering strength to solace and offer moral support to the victims. I managed to interview a doctor, who is currently working in the province of Hama under shelling of the Assad’s army and Russian air strikes.

Please tell us about yourself, where you live.

I am Dr. Hassan Alaaraj, Head of Healthcare Administration in the province of Hama reporting to the Ministry of Public Health of Free Syria. My field is cardiology.

How did the situation affect the civilians in the region?

No doubt it negatively impacted the city life. It is not safe anymore, the people lost their jobs, and they cannot get normal medical care. But we do our best to compensate for the lack of health care.

What are the main formations fighting in your region? What is the people’s attitude to Assad? Rebels? Russia? Tell us, please, about the interfaith relations.

The Northern territories of Hama province are controlled by SFA (Syria Free Army) which consists of former Assad’s Army personnel, who defected to the people, as well as of the volunteer fighters, that means those people are our children, brothers, neighbors and acquaintances. The people’s attitude to the rebels is good- they are our children. Assad and the Russians – are our enemies. The Revolution in Syria started under the slogan- “The Syrians are united!” the majority of the Syrians are Sunni, as well as the other affiliations. We had never had any disagreements before, we used to live together.

How does Russia affect your region? 

Russia supports Bashar Assad in his war against the civilians. Russia even surpassed Assad in the crimes against the civilians (killings, destructions). The Russians make very destructive and highly targeted airstrikes. We, the doctors, saw the consequences of such strikes. In pretense of war on ISIS, Russia invaded Syria. Russia lies about fighting ISIS. Everybody knows already that only 5% of the air strikes are carried out in the territory controlled by ISIS, and 95% of the strikes targeted hospitals, schools, markets and residential areas.

Kafr Zita, Hama province, a hospital after an air strike

Have there been any air strikes carried out by the Russian air force in your region? If yes, than what did they target and what were the consequences for the civilians?

 As the air strikes started, the Russians bombed a hospital in the North of the province Hama in the village Latamniya. It happened because this hospital gave medical assistance to the local civilians. In this attack, five people were injured and one doctor died, among those who were inside the hospital. Two ambulances were destroyed as well. The hospital was attacked twice; it is completely destroyed by now. On the October 28, 2015, the Russian air forces attacked a hospital in the city Kafr Zita. Two thirds of the hospital was demolished.

I would like to reiterate – Russia goes all out in support Assad against the civil population. They do not impact ISIS at all. We won’t give up on the goal we chose in the beginning of the revolution – it is our freedom. Russia helps the criminal regime of Assad to gain control over the lost territories, where people do not want to obey or worship Assad.

Dr. Hassan Alaaraj
assisting victims in the hospital of Kafr Zita on the day of the chemical attack

Have you ever discussed any counteractions inside Russia?

We consider the Russian Army as our enemy. They came to fight against us on our land. We shall protect ourselves and fight against them in the territory of Syria. And we shall win with God’s help.

We are not interested in the territory of Russia.

Describe the condition of the civilian population in your region. What are now the main needs?

 It is a humanitarian crisis in our territory. But most of all the people want peace and safety. The people are petrified with airstrikes from aircraft and helicopters. And they are now even more scared because of the Russian airplanes, that bomb us severely and leave no chance of survival. I repeat once more, the people need safety. The situation deteriorated with Russian invasion.

What problems concerning health care do you and your colleagues face? 

It is very difficult to perform timely medical assistance with all the violence in Syria. There is a proverb – alive martyr saves an injured one (in Arabic shakhid saves shakhid) which shows how dangerous it is here. I need to say that the rescuer workers die too. The main problem is that there is no safety at all. Almost everyday ambulances and hospitals are attacked. We also lack ambulance cars and medical hardware. According to the Geneva Convention, the rescuers are the neutral. Maybe it is works for the rest of the world, but not for Syria. The rescue workers are specifically targeted by the regime and the Russians.

(Note The movement White Helmets and medical workers are considered the rescue workers in Syria) 

We have information that a lot of territories in Syria are mined. People trip land mines, children suffer particularly. Is that true? Tell us if it is true in your region?

Yes I confirm it. Every day we face the consequences of unexploded cluster bombs. People are blown up by the subminitions and come to us for help, limbs and eyes are especially vulnerable. Particularly children. Our land is stuffed with mines, they are everywhere-near schools, gyms, fields, mosques, hospitals. Cluster munitions are forbidden, but they are utilized in Syria, and I confirm it as a doctor.

What do you know about the war in Ukraine?  What is common for the wars in Syria and Ukraine, how can we help each other? 

I believe we face the same enemy and it unites us.  Russia invaded Syria as occupier, assassin and rapist. It started its bloody trip in Ukraine. We consider the Ukrainians our brothers and comrades in arms in the war against the Russian invaders. We are certain that we shall win over Putin’s regime in Syria and Ukraine.

 What kind of resolution do you see for this situation?

Every time another participant joins the fray in Syria, the situation gets even more complicated.  But we are sure that finally the tyrants and occupiers will leave. The people will stay!

Kfir Zita, Hama province. The hospital after an airstrike

I am grateful to Dr. Hassan Alaaraj for giving time for this interview, and for his opinion about the role that the Russian Federation plays in the war in Syria. Unfortunately, we could not interact directly because of the military danger. I have prepared a list of questions in advance and he recorded his answers as a video. And I wanted to ask him many more questions: about his everyday medical practice, which is an act of bravery, about relocating of the hospital after the Russian air strikes etc. I do hope I will one day.

2. Documents

I supply additional photo and video materials that illustrating the words of Dr. Hassan Alaaraj in this interview, and proving the crimes of these two cannibalistic regimes.

The doctor was also interviewed by Arabic media about the Russian air strikes on the hospital in the Hama province. Here is a quote form that interview:

Reporters of the Orient Channel are in the North of the Hama province, Kafr Zita city. They are interviewing Head of Healthcare Administration in the province of Hama, Dr.

– Tell us please about the air strikes by the Russians on the hospital in Latamniya

– Russia is Assad’s partner. They have supported him in the UN, when Russia imposed veto to all the resolutions concerning Syria. They also supplied weapons and mercenaries. It is a direct interference. It was an ordinary hospital in Latamaniya, which was destroyed by Assad’s helicopters. We were forced to arrange a hospital in caves, that was also attacked by the Russian aircraft. There is no ISIS in our territory, but the Russians are used to lie, that is what they routinely do in Syria.

The doctor was telling about the airstrike which was shown on Russian TV and presented as an attack on ISIS. The video was also posted on the web site of the Russian Ministry of Defense. But in reality, a village was bombed, and a hospital was destroyed – Video, Video.

There is also an article in New York Times about this case.

The village of Latamniya, the first airstrikes by the Russian forces. A whole district was demolished. One man says: “The Russians arrived to kill us” – video.

The Russian air forces bomb the city of Telbisy in the province of Homs – September 30, 2015. No report of casualties. The first day of the air strikes. The cameraman is saying all the time: “Russia, tayaran russi”, which means “Russia, the Russians aircraft”. – video

Another interview with Dr. Hassan Alaaraj after the chemical attack on Kafr Zita (web link). He said: “On the April 18, 2014, a barrel bomb was dropped. It did not explode in the usual manner, instead a thick smoke began coming out. The people were brought to the hospital with asphyxia. It turned out to be chlorine. We are trying to help with the staff we have. I am calling on the people to leave the city”.

Article: “The International inspection confirmed chlorine ammonia deployment during the air strikes in Kafr Zita”.

Here are some details of the operation when the experts obtained the samples at the site of the recent chemical attacks in Syria and managed to get them out of the country, then tested the samples in labs.

It was 6AM, when the first bomb fell. On the impact with the ground, chemical gas began to come out of the barrel in the village Kafr Zita. The village was covered with yellow vapor, it was seeping into houses and suffocating the people inside. The doctors tried to minimize the effects of chlorine inhalation, which was burning the lungs. The victims were brought to the field hospital, some people managed to get there by themselves – approximately 150 people. It was on April 11. The attacks were repeated on the April 12 and 16. Gas bombs fell on Kafr Zita. At night, on the 18 April, a cylinder filled with chlorine, was thrown down from a helicopter. It fell so close to the hospital that the doctors and nurses themselves were affected. Three days later, the same attack was carried out 30 km away in the village of Talmenes. About one hundred locals were affected. One family suffered a tragedy, two children died, and the pregnant mother had to be admitted into ICU. Deployment of chemical weapons was confirmed by an Independent forensic chemical examination of the samples, taken on site.

Article: “Chlorine was deployed again against the village of Kafr Zita”.

The videos confirm deployment of chemical weapons in Kafr Zita: web link, web link, web link, web link, web link, web link.

Video, telling about the attack on the hospital in Latamniya.

Katerina Yaresko