Syrian child with severe burns 'treated with mud' after medical supplies run out

Human Rights Watch accuse government forces of repeatedly using incendiary weapons against civilians

A badly burned Syrian child was treated with mud because medical supplies have run out in the besieged city of Homs, it has been claimed.

Video released by Homs Media Centre on Sunday, shows a child with wounds allegedly caused by an incendiary weapon similar to napalm.

Mud is being used as a cooling agent, a doctor in Homs said, because medical supplies are so low there is nothing else available.

“After the bombing by war planes stopped, they began firing napalm,” a doctor said in another video distributed by the Media Centre.

“Some of the patients were burned.”

The video was purportedly recorded in the rebel-held al-Waer neighbourhood of Homs, which has been under seige since 2012. Residents of the district are short of food and aid supplies, but are prevented from leaving by heavy shelling.

“Today there were 12 airstrikes and we received injuries. We are suffering a shortage of medical supplies and even available medicine has expired,” the doctor said.

“We’re using polyester bandages which worsen the injuries, because we don't have any other options.”

The video shows a young child violently shaking as a man rubs thick mud over her burned, bandaged body.

Two other children were killed and at least five wounded in the attack, report Al Jazeera, which said it had seen photos of the burned bodies of Hamzah, a four-year-old boy, and Ayah, a seven-month-old-girl.

At least 20 adults were also wounded, Homs Media Centre said.

A total of 113 countries have signed an agreement not to use incendiary devices like napalm, which soak people in a flammable liquid and ignite it, resulting in a painful death or horrific injuries. Syria is not a signatory.

In early August, Human Rights Watch said Syrian government forces and their Russian allies have repeatedly used incendiary weapons against civilians in northern Syria, and are using the devices with increasing frequency.

The group documented 18 cases in which incendiary devices were used in Aleppo and Idlib between 5 June and 10 August 2016.

“The Syrian government and Russia should immediately stop attacking civilian areas with incendiary weapons,” said Steve Goose, arms director at Human Rights Watch.

“These weapons inflict horrible injuries and excruciating pain, so all countries should condemn their use in civilian areas.”