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WHO says 480 need to be evacuated from Damascus suburb with worst malnutrition

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* No green light yet from Syrian govt for evacuation – WHO
* Nearly 500 afflicted with chronic diseases
* Highest malnutrition rate in Syria – UN
GENEVA, Dec 6 (Reuters) – Nearly 500 sick and wounded patients still await medical evacuation from the Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta, which the Syrian government has not granted, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.
Malnutrition rates in the besieged rebel-held area, about a 45-minute drive from the capital, are now “the highest seen so far in Syria since the beginning of the crisis”, WHO representative in Syria Elizabeth Hoff said.
A week ago the United Nations called on world powers to help arrange the evacuations saying eastern Ghouta had become a “humanitarian emergency”. Nine patients have died in recent weeks while waiting, UN envoy Jan Egeland said at the time.
”The Syrian government has not approved the medical evacuation yet,“ Hoff told Reuters from Damascus. ”There has been no movement.
The list of priority patients was provided from the opposition-controlled area about four weeks ago, she said.
Almost 200 children are among those on the growing but stalled U.N. list, who mainly suffer from severe chronic diseases including kidney failure, cancer and cardiovascular diseases, Hoff said.
Some war-wounded are among priority evacuees, she said. More than 400 relatives are also seeking to accompany the 480 patients for treatment in Damascus hospitals.
Jets believed to be Syrian and Russian struck heavily crowded residential areas in eastern Ghouta, killing at least 27 people and injuring dozens in the third week of a stepped-up assault, residents, aid workers and a war monitor said on Monday.
A nutritional survey done in eastern Ghouta during the first half of November collected data on more than 300 children between the age of six months and five years, Hoff said.
“The survey data results indicate a deterioration in the nutrition situation among children under the age of five years old,” the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and WHO said in the findings.
Some 11.9 percent of the children examined were found to have global acute malnutrition, including 1.6 percent suffering from severe acute malnutrition, which can be life-threatening.
Aid agencies are providing life-saving curative and preventive nutrition services in eastern Ghouta, through five health facilities and seven mobile clinics in Douma, Harasta and Kafr Batna, it said.
“We delivered 8 tonnes of medical supplies to eastern Ghouta last month, but it is not sufficient,” Hoff said.

To read original article in Reuters website  

Statement by Panos Moumtzis, the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis on the recent escalation of violence in Syria

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Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 

Amman, 5 October 2017

 

I am appalled by reports of high numbers of civilian casualties due to heavy air attacks in Syria. Hospitals, ambulances, schools and displaced people escaping violence have been targeted by direct air strikes resulting in deaths and injuries of innocent civilians. September was the deadliest month of 2017 for civilians with daily reports of attacks on residential areas resulting in hundreds of conflict-related deaths and injuries. 

This week, airstrikes on Ar-Raqqa city killed dozens of people and injured many others. Some 8,000 people remain trapped in the city. Between 19-30 September, airstrikes on residential areas in Idlib killed at least 149 people, the majority of whom were women and children. Attacks on medical facilities are depriving people in need of their right to life-saving medical care. Schools and hospital in Idlib have been forced to close due to fear of being targeted. Three explosions in Damascus city caused the death of 20 people and injured 15 more. Civilian casualties were also reported in Rural Damascus, Hama, Aleppo, and Deir-Ez-Zor.

I would like to praise the phenomenal work carried out by humanitarian workers and in particular national staff. Rescue workers on a daily basis risk their lives to help others. 

The UN calls on all parties to the conflict to immediately take all measures to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure throughout Syria. Targeting of civilians and facilities including hospitals and other medical facilities is simply unacceptable and constitute a grave violation of human rights and international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes. All parties to the conflict must respect their international obligations and act in a way that ensures the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers.

Ihsan for Relief and Development completed the data collection phase in Lattakia,

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Ihsan for Relief and Development, an organization under the umbrella of the Syrian Forum, has just completed the data collection phase of the on-going needs assessment in Lattakia, led by the Needs Assessment Department. The objective of the multi-sectoral assessment is to identify the major gaps in the non-government controlled area in order to build adequate projects in response. The Ihsan team on the ground began the assessment after receiving a in-depth training on tools and methodology. The assessment was gathered information from heads of relief committees, heads of hospitals, school managements, random sample of civilians as well as well-known leaders of the community.

Distributing health baskets provided by the World Food Program

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Ihsan for Relief and Development signed a contract for receiving and distributing health baskets provided by the WFP during September 24-25-26, 2014. A group of international monitors oversaw the operation of receiving and transporting the baskets on Syrian soil. The WFP provided approximately 5000 food baskets with a variety of grains, oils and canned foods. The number of beneficiaries of this project is estimated to be 25,000 people. It is worth noting that each basket weighs 50 kgs.

Power supply project in Der Ezzor

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Syrian Forum’s Ihsan for Relief and Development completed a power supply project in Al-Hatleh village in Der Ezzor. The project entailed the purchasing, transporting, and installing of an electric power generator. The project ensures pumping water directly to village houses. Approximately 39000 people live in Al-Hatleh.

Distribution of health baskets in rural Lattakia

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Syrian Forum’s Ihsan for Relief and Development distributed health baskets provided by UNICEF in rural Lattakia. The distribution spanned five municipalities, made up of 65 villages, with 19,362 residents. These municipalities are: Kanasba – Marj Al Zawiya – Sharoura – Duwerke – Ako.

Ihsan completed the distribution of assistance worth $49,571

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Ihsan for Relief and Development completed the distribution of assistance worth $49,571 in the last quarter of September and the first half of October 2014. Assistance included shelter supplies, health baskets and transportation allowances for Syrian IDPs in rural Idleb (the villages of Sargila, Rabia and Shanshrah). This was completed within SF’s current contract with the NGO ACTED. Ihsan’s team directed distribution operations, which were attended by Mr. Mohammad AlMasry, SF’s Idleb office manager. It is worth noting that Ihsan’s field team visited the distribution area previously in September and documented a complete absence of necessary infrastructure. Approximately 2500 IDPs reside in the distribution area.