Medical aid arrives in Syria's Baniyas after days of intense violence

A group of medical teams have arrived in the war-torn city of Baniyas, Syria, on Wednesday, following days of intense violence between Syrian security forces and armed groups loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad.

The medical teams from Idlib and Azaz towns arrived to assist at the Baniyas National Hospital, where more than 1,000 people have been killed and many others wounded in clashes.

"The fighting reached the hospital entrance, and the building suffered significant damage. They targeted us with bombs, RPGs, and artillery. But, thank God, we were able to push back the assault, and the security forces never abandoned us. May God bless them," said Hanaf Al-Yaman Hanouf, a medical intern at the hospital

The medical teams labored tirelessly throughout the day, attending to the wounded and providing much-needed care to those who had been awaiting medical attention amidst the chaos.

"We arrived from Idlib and the Azaz area with a team comprising doctors, anesthesia technicians, laboratory specialists, radiology experts, and obstetric staff. Additionally, we brought a substantial supply of medicines to address shortages at the hospital," said Ahmad Samra, a doctor of the support medical team.

Amidst the turmoil, many residents were trapped in their homes, unable to navigate the violence to reach the hospital. Maryam Abdulkarim, a relieved mother, expressed gratitude for finally being able to access medical care for her child.

"I have a child who needed regular injections and treatments, but I couldn't reach the hospital, especially after the attacks by Assad loyalists. Thank God, after the security forces intervened and brought the situation under control, we were finally able to access the hospital again," said Maryam Abdulkarim, a resident.

The supporting medical teams have committed to remaining in Baniyas until at least Friday, extending their stay as necessary. Additional medical aid shipments are anticipated, providing critical relief to patients reliant on the city's only operational hospital.

Medical aid arrives in Syria's Baniyas after days of intense violence

Medical aid arrives in Syria's Baniyas after days of intense violence

Medical aid arrives in Syria's Baniyas after days of intense violence

The death toll from a landfill collapse in the central Philippine city of Cebu has risen to eight by Monday morning as search and rescue operations continued for another 28 missing people.

The landfill collapse occurred on Thursday as dozens of sanitation workers were working at the site. The disaster has already caused injuries of 18 people.

Family members of the missing people said the rescue progress is slow, and the hope for the survival of their loved ones is fading.

"For me, maybe I’ve accepted the worst result already because the garbage is poisonous and yesterday, it was raining very hard the whole day. Maybe they’ve been poisoned. For us, alive or dead, I hope we can get their bodies out of the garbage rubble," said Maria Kareen Rubin, a family member of a victim.

Families have set up camps on high ground near the landfill, awaiting news of their relatives. Some people at the site said cries for help could still be heard hours after the landfill collapsed, but these voices gradually faded away.

Bienvenido Ranido, who lost his wife in the disaster, said he can't believe all that happened.

"After they gave my wife oxygen, my kids and I were expecting that she would be saved that night because she was still alive. But the night came and till the next morning, they didn't manage to save her," he said.

Death toll in central Philippine landfill collapse rises to eight