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Erbil, Iraq: medical aid to refugee camps provides a lifeline

Malteser International delivers urgently needed supplies

Erbil, Iraq, 26 August 2014

Erbil, Iraq: Oliver Hochedez, Malteser International team leader, surveys a refugee camp

Over the weekend, Malteser International teams worked
solidly to deliver shipments of medicines, medical supplies, wheelchairs and water filtration and storage systems to two refugee campes in Ankawa, a suburb of Erbil, north Iraq.

“This first shipment starts to address the dire need for
essential drugs for refugees. It includes medicines for chronic illnesses, especially for the primary healthcare facilities currently overwhelmed by large numbers of displaced persons,” reports Dr. Juergen Clemens, Malteser International’s emergency relief coordinator. “But there are still important gaps – for instance in psychosocial care, as not enough providers are available to meet the growing demands.”

Erbil, Iraq: wheelchairs are delivered to the refugee camp

Working with its local partner organisation, the Order of Malta relief service now plans to deploy a mobile medical team in Erbil and the surrounding region. They will provide psychological care for traumatised victims whose lives have been so harshly disrupted.