Statement by the Dentists of Aleppo

We are the dentists of Eastern Aleppo city, providers of dental care treatments for more than 300,000 citizens in Aleppo. We treat men, women, and children, a group of 10 dentists who have decided to take this responsibility and to fulfil their medical oath in treating their people in this dark times through the history of Aleppo.

Our clinics were attacked many times in the past , we were providing dental care in the most dangerous city in the world , sometimes we might lose one heartbeat or two when we hear the sound in the air jet falling down in the attack position , or when we hear the sound of the falling barrel bomb , we try to keep focus

, to reassure patients , and to continue our job , sometimes it is not easy , sometimes patients are so panicked to receive treatment with all of these fierce noises of explosions , sometimes they walk long distances just to calm their pain. but we keep going in complete belief in our faith and destiny, we are doing what we are doing because it is our mission, and nothing will stop us from keep doing it.

But on the 27th of April, our colleague, Dr. Ahmad Al Mohamed will no longer be able to resume his treatments anymore, he was killed in the airstrike attack committed by an Arial attack by the Syrian regime and allies on Al-Quds hospital, he was with our other colleague Dr. Wassim Maaz.

Sometimes you ask yourself if destiny chooses the finest doctors to be taken from us. Dr. Ahmad was so loved, he was also volunteering in dental prevention campaigns, he was so kind with children, always trying to save them pain by focusing on prevention, we trying to create hope in the broken city by the small efforts that we can do.

As if it was not enough to murder the doctor himself, the very clinic where he used to work, at Al- Marjah Primary health care center has also been destroyed on the 29th of April, also by an airstrike to the center.

We had 2 dental chairs inside the clinic, and we were providing more than 500 treatment session per month, Dr. Ahmad has performed 2797 treatment last year in this very clinic.

In the very moment of writing this letter, another colleague of us, Dr. Youssef Atki, another dentist working in Al – Sakhour health center was severely injured by an airstrike of the Syrian regime and allies in Al – Shaa’r neighborhood, damaging the neural plexus of his right arm, which might prevent him from practicing dentistry again.

We are strongly condemning these grave violation of international humanitarian law by the government of Syria and its allies, targeting medical facilities is a war crime, and those perpetrates should be hold accountable to the crimes that they ha

ve committed.

It is not over yet in Aleppo, we are still under attack, we are tiered and afraid, but we will keep working, and we are calling on our colleague doctors, we are calling on those who believe in the sacred right of people to receive treatment, we are inviting you to speak up, to put pressure on your governments to prevent the Syrian regime from targeting civilians, health centers, schools, and markets.

it is not too late to act, so help us to continue our work, help us to keep helping our people.