Syria
Medical aid to the Syrians. Medicines, medical supplies, life-saving supplies. Prostheses for women and children after war amputations
Why?
Why do we help in Syria?
Since the beginning of the war in Syria about 6 million people have left their homeland and hundreds of thousands have lost their health or lives. Amputations of limbs injured during the bombings are the most common procedures.
It is estimated that approx. one million Syrians (including over 240,000 children) have had their limbs amputated. Each child whose capability to function in the family and among peers is restored equals a hope for a new life.
Since December 2019, approx. 900,000 Syrians have fled towards the Turkish-Syrian border. Over the past few weeks, almost 140,000 refugees have sought refuge there. This means that many people are exposed to cold weather, diseases and often starvation.
It is estimated that approx. one million Syrians (including over 240,000 children) have had their limbs amputated. Each child whose capability to function in the family and among peers is restored equals a hope for a new life.
Since December 2019, approx. 900,000 Syrians have fled towards the Turkish-Syrian border. Over the past few weeks, almost 140,000 refugees have sought refuge there. This means that many people are exposed to cold weather, diseases and often starvation.
Children are the most oppressed victims of this dirty war.
Mansour Alatrash,
Doctor from Syria
How?
How do we help in Syria?
Prostheses are an opportunity for children and teenagers after amputations, doomed to be locked in their homes, with no contact with their peers and lack of further education possibilities. In addition to isolation, these people are vulnerable to medical conditions, such as spinal scoliosis, muscle atrophy, cramps and infections. They also commonly suffer from depression which is aggravated by the trauma of the war.
The funds we have acquired enabled us to reopen the orthopaedic centre in Termanin, in northern Syria. The facility was closed due to lack of funding. Materials for the production of prostheses and appropriate medical equipment were purchased. Specialists also appeared: orthopaedists, prosthodontists and physiotherapists.
From April to December 2018, 302 prostheses were made in Termanin for mutilated women and children who then underwent full motor rehabilitation.
In 2022, we began operations in the Northeast region of Syria, establishing cooperation with the Kurdish Red Crescent to improve the quality of medical care. So far, we have supplied the Al-Raqqa Maternity and Children's Hospital with life-saving medical equipment for newborns.
The funds we have acquired enabled us to reopen the orthopaedic centre in Termanin, in northern Syria. The facility was closed due to lack of funding. Materials for the production of prostheses and appropriate medical equipment were purchased. Specialists also appeared: orthopaedists, prosthodontists and physiotherapists.
From April to December 2018, 302 prostheses were made in Termanin for mutilated women and children who then underwent full motor rehabilitation.
In 2022, we began operations in the Northeast region of Syria, establishing cooperation with the Kurdish Red Crescent to improve the quality of medical care. So far, we have supplied the Al-Raqqa Maternity and Children's Hospital with life-saving medical equipment for newborns.
302
prostheses
for women and children
1
prosthetic centre
in Termanin, Syria
4
prosthetic
specialists
Turkey 2017, photo: Adam Golec
Who do we help?
People’s stories
The war in Syria raging since 2011 has plunged the country into ruin; 6 million Syrians have left their homeland and hundreds of thousands have lost their lives or health. Among the most frequent operations are amputations of limbs injured during the bombings and untreated due to lack of access to health care.
meet Hebe
Hebe had olive eyes that lacked confidence; that is how I remembered them when I first saw her. And a pink and white jumper that she got before the war when Hebe could run to her school and to a baklava shop in Aleppo. February 2017: Hebe is 12 years old and is living in Turkey with her uncle who fled from Syria. She does not run anymore because she had no legs; she had them torn off by a bomb. In Turkey, she was supposed to get prostheses, made of foam rubber, with heavy feet of plaster. She could not even stand on them, she developed a curved spine. Hebe could be my daughter! I thought: Hebe must have legs... Originally, the operation was meant to be in Poland but Hebe did not have a passport or the slightest chance to get one because her parents were stuck in Syria. However, it worked well for her – they signed consent for their daughter’s passport. Hebe would not be allowed to travel on her own or with her uncle. She did not travel with her grandmother either even though she had a passport and got across the border to Turkey because the consul refused to grant her a visa to enter Poland. We wrote letters to the prime minister and the president. We appealed to the media. And a miracle happened! ‘Hello, the government has granted funding for the prostheses for Hebe but we need to have them made in Turkey,' said the consul. January 2018: back in Turkey, under those stairs where Hebe slid on her bottom a year ago. Now she was walking, carefully lifting her legs and looking straight into my eyes. A tall and smiley girl.
Who helps?
Who helps in Syria?
We are one of the few Polish non-governmental organizations that provide medical assistance. We help where the needs are the greatest. Our assistance is long-term – it brings permanent changes in the communities we support.
Polish Medical Mission
Małgorzata Olasińska-Chart
Project Coordinator
Co-financing
Medical aid. Permanent changes. Local partner.
Build aid with us in the neediest countries of the world.