WHO calls for increased support for health aid in Syria and refugee-hosting neighbouring countries

As the world’s leaders gather in Brussels on 4-5 April, the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria continues to unfold. More than six years into the conflict, the violence is unrelenting. As always, it is civilians who pay the highest price: almost 300,000 people have been killed and 1.5 million people injured, including thousands of women and children. Today, almost 13 million people inside Syria and 5 million refugees in neighbouring countries are in need of urgent health assistance. The human misery behind these numbers is sometimes overlooked: the 17-year old girl who lost her right leg in a mortar attack that crushed her body and spirit. The 45-year old woman whose depression is so severe that she hears voices threatening to kill her children. The five-year old girl who saw her father and brother die, and now wakes up every night screaming. The 12-year old boy crying in agony as his cancer spreads, while doctors tell his mother they do not have the medicines needed to relieve his pain. In every part of the country, millions of lives have been shattered and destroyed, and health needs are greater than ever before. Inside Syria, limited specialized medical staff, ambulances, equipment and medical supplies have led to growing numbers of deaths which could have been prevented. Large numbers of wounded Syrians continue to die or face permanent disabilities as a result of limited access to medical care. People are dying of complications of chronic diseases that could be easily ...
Source: WHO EMRO News - Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news