MSF speech at the UN Syria donor conference

Six months after the first international donor conference for Syria, humanitarian aid is failing. Security and living conditions have deteriorated dramatically. The population living in areas controlled by opposition groups have almost no access to official international aid. Across the country, there are enclaves surrounded by intense fighting, where virtually no aid is reaching the people trapped inside.While international attention has focused on chemical weapons, our teams on the ground are seeing that it is the bombing, the consequent displacement of millions of people, and the targeting and collapse of the Syrian health system that are causing the largest number of deaths.We can attest to the immense needs in the north of Syria, where MSF operates five health facilities in opposition-held areas. Already this year, in addition to carrying out thousands of surgical procedures, we have vaccinated nearly 70,000 children against measles and delivered almost a thousand babies, as women have lost access to maternal care. We are providing treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis and typhoid, as well as other communicable diseases and chronic illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes.Yet given the scale of need, what MSF is doing is extremely limited. Most aid in the country is coming through Syrian solidarity networks, but they are struggling in the face of massive medical needs. Their medical assistance is focusing primarily on providing treatment to the war wounded.But what of...
Source: MSF News - Category: Global & Universal Tags: Syria Frontpage Violence NEWS Opinion Source Type: news