Damascus/Cologne. German and Syrian emergency relief experts have met with representatives of the Ministry of Health in Damascus. The new rulers in Syria's capital signaled their intention to seek further and more intensive cooperation with Malteser International and national aid organizations in the country to care for the population. “The need for humanitarian aid and treatment capacities is immense. So many villages have been destroyed, many schools and hospitals are no longer functional. It is hard to witness this level of suffering and destruction,” says Oliver Hochedez, Head of Malteser International's Emergency Relief Department, describing his impressions after the reconnaissance. He returned to Germany on Saturday after his stay in Damascus.
Malteser International and its partner organizations have provided a wide range of aid in north-western Syria during the war since 2012. They currently maintain 18 health stations that, for example, distribute vital medicines and provide obstetric care. Malteser International and its partner organizations have also delivered food, hygiene products and everyday necessities to displaced people and others in need. Last year, more than 750,000 people accepted these offers of aid.
Malteser International is urgently calling for donations. “The Syrian people need our help. This is immediately clear to anyone who comes to the country. It is now important for us as an aid organization to provide concrete support where lives are threatened by the poor supply situation. Where possible, we want to further expand our aid and need more donations to do so,” says Hochedez.
Attention editorial offices:
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Oliver Hochedez, Head of Emergency Relief Department at Malteser International is available for interviews and sound bites.
Media contact: +49 (0)221 9822-7180, katharina.Kiecol(at)malteser-international.org
The people in Syria are in urgent need of donations.
The people in Syria are in urgent need of donations.
Malteser Hilfsdienst e. V.
IBAN: DE10 3706 0120 1201 2000 12
S.W.I.F.T.: GENODED 1PA7
Keyword: “Syria”
