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Medical Delegation to Syria, July ‘07 Page 1 of 4 |
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Dr. Wanbli Franklin and Dr. Karen Hoover traveled to Damascus on July 28 – August 4, 2007 with Mel Lehman, Director of Common Humanity, to visit Iraqi refugees in Syria and to see if they could find a way to help. From left, a local clinic director, Dr. Franklin, Dr. Hoover, and Mr. Lehman. |
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Our visit was hosted by staff of the Syrian Ministry of Health who took us to visit several neighborhood health clinics in Damascus where Iraqi refugees were receiving free medical care along with local Syrians. These neighborhood health facilities were part of an extensive network of local public health clinics around the country. Left, staff at a local clinic. |
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Our impression was that Syria was providing a significant level of hospitality and basic humanitarian support to the refugees. Rather than living in refugee camps, the Iraqi refugees we saw were living in neighborhoods of Damascus. |
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The violence following the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 has displaced over 4 million Iraqis; 1 out of every 6 Iraqis have now fled from their homes. About half are internally displaced inside Iraq, and well over 2 million have fled to neighboring countries. Some 750,000 have fled to Jordan and over 1.5 million Iraqi refugees have found refuge in Syria. |
