"Our hospital was bombed to the ground. So we'll bring the hospital to the people."
On Sunday 5th May, the eve of Ramadan, our hospital in Kafr Nobol, Idlib was destroyed in a targeted attack killing two patients and injuring 10s more. The hospital was operating as an underground (‘Cave’) hospital after the overground hospital above it was wiped out by airstrikes in 2018. We hoped it would be safe underground. It was decimated.
As the fighting intensifies, the need for hospital services grows ever more acute – as IDPs - people forced abandoned their homes quickly and in terror to avoid the attacks – move into the area.
Many are now living without shelter or crammed into community buildings, without access to adequate care. Among those who have fled are pregnant women, newborns, patients requiring treatment of chronic conditions, and those with fresh wounds sustained as innocent bystanders to the conflict they are fleeing.
Mobile clinics are a last resort, used only when all other means of providing healthcare are exhausted. The situation in Idlib is beyond the last resort. With our hospital and several others destroyed and the number of people needing treatment rising, they are our best option for providing essential medical services..
Unfortunately this type of situation is not new to us. HiHFAD have run mobile clinics in extreme conditions before. We can get vehicles and teams together quickly, reaching people and providing access to healthcare by meeting people where they are.
Our doctors and nurses will diagnose patients, treat those we can and refer patients with severe needs to the closest hospitals still standing. Our midwives will support pregnant women and new mothers at this most crucial time.
"Nothing will stop us providing essential medical services to the civilian[s]… who have already suffered so much during the past eight years of war” - Fadi Al-Dairi, Syria country director
What you need to know
What are mobile clinics and why use them?:
You can watch our video showing the difference a mobile clinic can make to people living in camps.
Our funding target:
With over 152,000 newly displaced people to support, we are working to provide aid to as many people as we possibly can with your generous support. The situation on the ground is changing day to day and as such, if campaigns do not reach their targets - or should we raise more money than is needed for this emergency appeal - we will use ours and our partners’ expertise to discern how to reallocate funds where they are needed most. In either case, contributors will be informed where this money is being spent and why.
Distribution of funds:
Due to the urgency, CanDo has agreed to release funds directly to partners for the specific emergency on a weekly basis based on assessment of needs.
How else can I help:
There are many ways you can use your voice to make a difference:
Convince two other people to support the campaign and you’ll treble your impact
Share our message and our campaign to #Rise4Idlib tagging journalists, media outlets and socially-conscious celebrities to help raise awareness of the atrocities happening and the need for the international community to respond
Comments
Our Medics have just received some new ambulances to their fleet, and their presence has now increased throughout the camps around Deir Hassan. Grandparents, children and those with limited mobility are now able to be treated closer to their tents. This month, our team have treated over 2,500 individuals so far and it's thanks to your support that we have managed to reach all these people- thank you! Here are some pictures that we had sent in from the field team earlier this week:
The situation in North West Syria has been escalating in severity since May, and the population have taken great strain. Much of Northern Hama and Southern Idlib have seen vast numbers of people flee to the north in hope of finding safety (estimated numbers are now just shy of half a million people). Two camps have taken the majority of new arrivals, even though both were considered full months ago. We have focused our efforts in one of these camps, Deir Hassan, as it has the least support thus leaving the population of mainly women, children and the elderly hugely vulnerable. Over 4,500 patients were seen in the month of June, and almost a quarter of those were for the reproductive health clinic. Your support of this project is ensuring that mothers, babies, and grandparents living in crowded tents can still access healthcare and for that we are extremely grateful! Make sure to follow our social media for our most up to date news
From the teams both on the ground in Northwest Syria and in our offices in Turkey, we would like to say a huge, heartfelt thank you to every single donor who has contributed to this campaign!
We will continue to share updates of how our teams are managing, and now that we have funding secured, we can and will continue to serve the IDPs evacuating the attacks in Idlib.
Thank you so much again, and please be sure to follow our social media for our most up to date information.
It has been devastating for our staff both in Turkey and in Syria to watch the escalation of violence in and around Idlib. The recent increase of attacks has led to the number of Internally Displaced People rising to over 400,000- with many seeking safety in the rural areas to the north west of Idlib.
These air strikes have been particularly painful as many of our staff live in the areas under fire. Mohammad - one of our employees - who has been with us since 2015 and began as an employee in two of our hospitals before moving to work in distributions, had his home targeted just over a week ago. His wife and young daughter were inside and tragically, his wife was killed. We grieve with him as he tries to juggle caring for his injured daughter and mourning the loss of his wife. HiHFAD reached an agreement with current donors to continue paying wages through this difficult period, as we commit to the care of our staff as our staff have always been committed to us. Thank you for standing with our staff and supporting them as they provide crucial care to those injured and displaced. - the Hand in Hand team
Rudimental got me here, thank you for doing the work that you do.
Thank you for your work, you are in my prayers. God bless you!
You're doing a great job in a bad situation. Good luck!
Thank you so much for the amazing response so far. In a little over a week, we have reached over 68% of our target, more than £20,000, and have mobile clinics operating already.
You are showing the people of Idlib that they have not been forgotten and that help is at hand. Over the past 20 days, 19 medical facilities have been bombed which has left thousands without critical services. Whilst many wait in vain for international powers to respond, we have taken matters into our own hands by taking our clinic services to those who need it most!
This week, the clinic has been operating in Deir Hassan camp and has treated over 500 individuals. We have also had a positive response to the reproductive health clinic we are providing alongside and within the mobile clinic, with over 60 visits this week.
We cannot thank you enough for the support you are offering Syrian communities caught up in the conflict, and we really hope that we will reach our goal with just under 2 weeks to go. - the Hand in Hand team
Can't make Mary Kenny's fundraiser but it's done the trick by prompting Tana Wollen and I to each support this campaign.
Governments of the world’s elf may have neglected you but the people of the world will not.
Couldn’t make Mary Kenny’s fundraiser so very happy to make a direct donation
Wishing the wonderful staff at hand in hand all the best during the challenging time x
Thank you so much for the brave work you're doing. You are true heroes and I'm proud to support you