The call comes as a second medical facility was hit this week by airstrikes in Aleppo and at least 200 people have been killed in renewed fighting in the conflict-ravaged city.
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The organization, also known by its French acronym MSF, says in a Friday statement that the bombing a day earlier of Quds hospital, in a rebel-held neighborhood of the city, destroyed one of the last remaining places in Aleppo in which “you could still find humanity”.
Ahead of the deal coming into force, violence appears to be continuing in Aleppo with Al Jazeera’s correspondent reporting 20 air strikes on Friday morning.
At least 14 patients and medical staffers – including three doctors – were killed when the hospital was hit by a “direct” strike, the aid group said.
The hospital, considered the primary center for pediatric care in Aleppo, includes 34 beds, offered services like obstetric care, and featured in- and outpatient departments and a theatre.
Medical equipment lay scattered across the clinic’s floor, covered in debris and dust, an AFP correspondent there said. “If it gets cut off, the city will become besieged”, it said.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the attack was “unacceptable” and warned that Aleppo was being “pushed further to the brink of humanitarian disaster”.
United Nations rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on Friday slammed world powers backing opposing sides in Syria, saying the renewed violence showed a “monstrous disregard for civilian lives”.
“The available information suggests that this attack can, with some degree of probability, be traced back to the troops of (President Bashar al-Assad’s) regime”, Seibert said, adding that it was a “blatant violation of humanitarian law”. “World leaders must urgently act to bring about an immediate end to attacks by all sides of the conflict”.
“Russia has an urgent responsibility to press the regime to fulfil its commitments under UNSCR 2254, including in particular to stop attacking civilians, medical facilities, and first responders, and to abide fully by the cessation of hostilities”.
A State Department official said there were indications that the bombing of the hospital was conducted exclusively by the Syrian government.
The Wednesday attack on the Al Quds hospital in Aleppo sparked outrage not only because of the large number of casualties, but also because it appeared as if meant to kill maximum civilians. MSF is desperately anxious about the estimated 250,000 people in increasing danger of being totally cut off and without medical care.
“We urge all the parties to spare the civilians”, said Marianne Gasser, head of the ICRC mission in Syria. While Syrian government airstrikes were blamed for bombarding a hospital Wednesday, killing at least 50, rebel barrages apparently also contributed to the violence.
It was not immediately clear what impact this unilateral declaration would have. The army says the cease-fire will go into effect at 1 a.m. on Saturday. The military said it will last 24 hours in Damascus and its suburbs and three days in Latakia.
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Syrian state media said several people had been killed and wounded as a government-held quarters in Aleppo was shelled and set on fire.
