As the conflict in Syria continues, the need for humanitarian aid remains great. The Red Cross and Red Crescent is on the ground, providing assistance to those who have been impacted.
The Al-Hol camp is currently home to an estimated 70, 000 people who have been displaced, around 90 per cent of those living in this camp are women and children. The ICRC, Syrian Arab Red Crescent, Norwegian Red Cross and the Canadian Red Cross are working together to support this vulnerable population with a field hospital. Since it opened on May 30, more than 2,000 people have been treated.
The hospital is providing life-saving surgical assistance to people who need medical attention. The needs are immense, particularly for care for mothers and children, surgery, mental health and physical rehabilitation.
This mobile clinic will help make care accessible. A particular concern in the camp is a large number of patients who have been wounded by weapons, and have limited access to surgical and post-surgical care. An assessment done by the Norwegian Red Cross estimated that around 2,000 weapon wounded patients are accommodated in Al Hol camp.
10-year-old Omar was injured before coming to Al-Hol camp. He underwent surgery at the field hospital. Before Omar’s surgery his siblings cried, afraid they would not see him again. It made him cry as well. They waited for him outside their tent, and when they saw him coming back with his mother, they ran to him, “Omar will survive this because he is strong, just like me.” said Yahia, Omar’s younger brother.
Omar has been so brave as he heals. Guiseppe Gambetta, an ICRC surgeon from Italy said the last x-
rays taken look good, and that the team “hope within six weeks that we can remove the cast and he can be able to start walking again. Without this surgery I think it would have been almost impossible for him to walk.”
“Omar is such a brave boy!” said Canadian nurse Leone Gagne. She has been an ICRC aid worker for 11 years, this is her 17
th mission. “I’m proud to work with the team in Syria. It is tiring, but it’s a great challenge. Every mission is different, but the common thing is treating patients. The people here deserve heath care.”
Canadians can help support the response in Syria through a donation to the Syrian Crisis Fund.
Photos by: Mari Aftret Mortvedt/ICRC, Olav A. Saltbones/Norwegian Red Cross