Targeting of hospitals in Syria is 'unparalleled brutality', Penny Mordaunt says

The Government has condemned the suspected computer hack on a leading British surgeon as it described the targeting of hospitals in Syria as "unparalleled brutality". 

Penny Mordaunt, the International Development Secretary, has launched an £11 million fund to try and find innovative ways to deliver healthcare in war zones. Medical supplies have become a target  in what she described as a  "blatant breach of international humanitarian law".  

News of the fund comes after  renowned consultant David Nott revealed his fears that a hack on his computer led to the bombing of a Syrian hospital suspected to have been carried out by Russian warplanes.

It is hoped that the Dfid fund could provide solutions such as a secure way to deliver instructions into war zones with a lower risk of being hacked, and new tools to make complex medical tasks easier for those with less training.  

Penny Mordaunt, the International Development Secretary, said: “The Asad regime and its backers have displayed an unparalleled level of callousness and barbarity by deliberately targeting schools and hospitals. These attacks, along with restrictions on food and medical supplies, are a blatant breach of international humanitarian law.

“The UK government continues call on all parties to this horrific conflict to protect civilians and we will continue to deliver support to those that need it most.

“Brave aid workers, including the medical staff targeted after a suspected computer hack, are working in horrific conditions to save people’s lives. The aid sector needs to innovate if it is to continue delivering life-saving assistance in the most difficult situations imaginable.  

“That’s why last month we launched a new fund with USAID to find new technology solutions and innovations to save lives in conflict zones. I urge any business or group with a bold idea to apply."

Mr Nott, known as the 'Indiana Jones' of surgery, had instructed his former students to conduct complex jaw reconstruction surgery via Skype and Whats App from his London office in September 2016. 

The operation was broadcast by the BBC and just weeks later the a "bunker buster" bomb was dropped on the exact co-ordinates of the operating theatre at the M10 hospital in Aleppo, leading Mr Nott to believe that the location had been hacked from his computer or phone. 

It is unclear how or at what point before the bombing the data was stolen.  

David Carroll, CEO of security firm XQ Cyber, said  there is "every chance that the consultant was identified and singled out by the hacker as a result of the BBC article". 

He added: “The compromise of his laptop is not a question of sophistication, but instead whether the compromise led to something ‘actionable’. If phone numbers were obtained from the hack, then you'd need a nation-state (or at least law enforcement organisation) level capability to turn a phone number into a target.”  

The deliberate targeting of doctors and aid workers has become a major concern for global health security and in Syria alone there have been an estimated that 450 attacks on hospitals.  

Zaher Sahloul, who was the President of the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) which was running the M10 hospital when it was bombed and is now a senior advisor to UOSSM, said there was concerns of doctors being hacked or their social media monitored.  

"This is one of the reasons that before we put any pictures on social media we ask the permission of the doctors, whether they are comfortable with it," he said.  

"We know for sure that this information is tracked by Governments, agents of the Government and they use it to bomb.

"I swear that every time I put up a picture, especially from Aleppo, that this hospital is bombed, that it is bombed the next day. 

"I also believe that they are some people that are tracking those doctors who are active. They track the information that we send and and use it to send a message or determine the location of places that are bombed."

The Dfid fund -  Creating hope in conflict: a Humanitarian Grand Challenge - was launched last month and is made up of £5.5million each from the UK Government and the US Agency for International Development.

It will provide funding to solutions to problems in developing health supplies and services,  life saving information, energy and sanitation.