Fifth year of Syria crisis: Generosity of donors allows direct assistance to people in need

Malteser International is taking the opportunity offered by the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the conflict in Syria on the 11th March to thank all of the donors and supporters who continue to make its humanitarian aid in the country possible. “We would like to say ‘thank you’ to all of the private and institutional donors who have made it possible for us to provide direct aid to the people in Syria, and to the Syrian refugees who have fled to neighboring countries,” said Sid Peruvemba, Vice Secretary General of Malteser International.

The situation in the country remains tense. The current ceasefire has given people in areas especially affected by air attacks the chance of a brief respite, however, confidence in the political process for the negotiation of a lasting peace remains low. “We are using the ceasefire as far as possible to improve the situation of the civilian population. However, this is not just a question of access and security, but of the resources which we have at our disposal,” said Peruvemba.

Malteser International is currently providing emergency relief for newly arriving displaced people in the region of Azaz, near to the Syrian border with Turkey. In cooperation with a local partner, we are constructing shelters, operating two mobile clinics and a field hospital to provide medical care, and providing secure access to clean drinking water using water tanks and boreholes – lifesaving aid for around 12,000 people. Malteser International has been active in the region since summer 2012, implementing projects to provide medical care for Syrians – including both those displaced within the country, who are unable or unwilling to flee abroad, as well as for those who are already refugees in the neighboring countries of Turkey and Lebanon. The uncertain security situation on the ground makes this work difficult. Despite this, we were able to provide treatment to 83,000 sick and wounded people at our field hospitals, health centers and mobile clinics in the last year alone. More than 6,000 women recieved care before and after childbirth, around 4,500 Syrian school children were given a warm meal after school every day; and almost 10,000 refugees took part in our language, IT, and vocational training courses.

To provide help to the population in Syria, as well as refugees in neighboring countries, we are continuing to ask for donations.