December 2020 Activities and Updates from UOSSM USA
UOSSM Activities
UOSSM USA Continues Winterization Campaign for Displaced Families in Northwest Syria
Winter is here, and for those living in displacement camps in northwest Syria, this is a season filled with human suffering and misery from extreme cold and horrible living conditions. Tens of thousands of families are living in displacement camps with little to no access to the basic necessities needed to survive. Many do not even have tents. COVID-19 remains an immediate threat with no ability to social distance in crowded displacement camps, no access to clean water and soap, and weakened immunity due to limited access to food and medical care. These families will be living in the extreme cold with hardly any protection from the outside elements.
UOSSM USA is taking proactive measures to protect thousands of internally displaced families in camps this winter. We want to help distribute tents, warm blankets, hygiene kits, and nutritional food baskets to those who need it most. This initiative will help save their lives and alleviate their suffering. YOU CAN HELP! For $400 we can provide a family of 5 with 1 tent, blankets, and a 3 month’s supply of nutritious food and hygiene essentials. This is less than $5/day. Every dollar helps. Our ultimate goal is to raise $400,000 to provide these winter kits to 1000 families. Please support our work and help us provide them with nutrition, shelter and warmth.
Please click here if you would like to support this campaign.
UOSSM Turkey Distributes over 1000 Winterization Kits and Food Baskets in Displacement Camps in Northwest Syria
UOSSM Turkey distributed over 1000 food baskets and winter kits to displaced families in displacement camps in northwest Syria. This is part of the winterization campaign initiative UOSSM Turkey began to provide warmth and nutrition to displaced Syrian families in the cold winter months. This project is funded by UOSSM USA.
UOSSM Continues Response to COVID-19 Pandemic in Northern Syria by Supporting CCTC Centers
UOSSM continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic by supporting isolation centers in northwest Syria. The goal is to address the gap in the response to COVID-19 in northwest Syria by supporting centers preventing and fighting the coronavirus. The centers will conduct PCR tests on all suspected COVID-19 cases, if the test is positive, patients with mild to moderate symptoms will be sent to quarantine and receive care. In some cases, asymptomatic patients could self-quarantine in their home if they have appropriate space to physically distance from other family members. Those patients receive educational information on preventing the spread of the coronavirus, and the use of personal protective equipment. UOSSM continues to provide awareness campaigns about COVID-19 as well, and is continuing with the following measures:
Supporting primary health care centers (PHCs)
Establishing and operating community-based isolation centers (CBICs)
Sterilization of displacement camps
Distribution of hygiene kits containing sanitizing and personal care items
Distribution of nutritious food baskets
Establishing a distance-learning center in Afrin
Distributing educational awareness brochures about COVID-19 in areas of displacement.
In addition, UOSSM Turkey participated in a COVID-19 Prevention Campaign in partnership with the Turkey Health Directorate. This campaign aimed to provide awareness to Syrian refugees on prevention and protection from the coronavirus.
UOSSM Turkey Continues to Provide Mental Health and Physiotherapy Services to Refugees in Turkey in 2021
UOSSM Turkey will continue to provide mental healthcare and psychosocial support services along with physiotherapy care, free of charge, to Syrian refugees in Turkey.
UOSSM USA is supporting the mental health program in Turkey, which has 5 mental health centers throughout Turkey, providing mental health care services, in the Arabic language, to Syrian refugees suffering from mental illness.
UOSSM Supports Rehabilitation Center in Sarmada
UOSSM continues to support the Sarmada Rehabilitation center in northwest Syria. The center includes a nursing department, physiotherapy department, and a pathology laboratory. The Sarmada Rehabilitation Center was established in 2014, and is considered the first rehabilitation center in northern Idlib. The center provides rehabilitation care to patients after surgery or in preparation for a surgical operation, and enhances healthcare services in northwest Syria.
UOSSM Continues to Provide Healthcare Services, Mental Healthcare Services and Support Medical Facilities in 2021
UOSSM will continue to support the health sector in Syria 2021 by:
Supporting 6 primary healthcare centers in Idlib
Supporting 2 primary healthcare centers in Aleppo
Supporting 4 hospitals and 4 specialty healthcare centers in accordance with the Essential Health Services Package developed by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Supporting The Internal Medicine Specialty Hospital in Idlib; will be affiliated with the Humanitarian Initiative Association (HIA)
Providing integrated mental health and psychosocial support services, in partnership with WHO, with 4 different secondary healthcare facilities in the Idlib governorate in areas where mental health and psychosocial support services are not available or easily accesible, and to provide immediate support to the increasing number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and those affected by COVID-19.
Operating 60 emergency vehicles at 23 emergency medical points to provide emergency lifesaving care to patients in need
Establishing a new referral network for intensive care units (ICUs) which includes 15 hospitals that have ICUs and the coordination between 95 medical facilities.
In addition, operating 6 other vehicles to transport dialysis patients for routine dialysis in 5 specialty dialysis centers.
Impact Story- Fatima
Fatima Altaher was only 9 months old when she first visited the nutrition clinic in the UOSSM Maarat Masreen Primary Healthcare Center. She is from a displaced family living in the displacement camps in Moreen in the northern Idlib countryside. After examination and measurements with the MUAC bracelet, baby Fatima was diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. Fatima’s mother was nursing her baby but after she became pregnant, breastfeeding became more challenging and her mother began supplementing her feedings with artificial milk, causing inconsistent nursing for Fatima. The artificial milk did not have the nutritional benefits required for the baby to grow and she wound up severely malnourished.
Her mother was provided with educational information and support on the importance of breastfeeding. With continued follow up and treatment, the baby girl’s health is improving and she is gaining weight and growing again. Thanks to our supporters baby Fatima and countless others like her have a chance at a healthy childhood. Healthcare should not be a privilege…everyone should have the right to free, quality healthcare.
UOSSM wants to ensure this by providing accessible, free quality healthcare, via medical centers and mobile clinics, to those who need it most. We will continue to achieve this thanks to your support!
Together, we are saving lives and building hope.
Did you know?
Since 2012, UOSSM has been providing emergency medical relief and healthcare services to the Syrian people affected by the crisis, working primarily inside Syria and with Syrian refugees in Turkey.
In 2019:
UOSSM provided medical services to almost 1.5 millionpeople in Syria and Turkey
UOSSM provided primary health care services to over 235,000 people
UOSSM provided protection services to over 29,000 people
UOSSM provided over 93,500 beneficiaries with nutrition services focused on women and children
UOSSM provided Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services to over 34,000 people
UOSSM Bab Al Hawa Hospital provided health care services to over 1 million patients since establishment through the end of 2019
UOSSM USA is a US federally tax-exempt non-profit 501(c)(3) Charitable Humanitarian organization. Tax-Exempt. Tax ID 47-3403988. All donations to UOSSM USA are fully deductible from taxes to the greatest extent permitted by law. Charitable Solicitation Disclosures available on our website: www.uossm.us
