Red Cross establishing hospital for Syrian refugees in Jordan

OTTAWA, Aug. 29, 2013 /CNW/ - The Canadian Red Cross is helping to establish a field hospital in a camp for newly arriving Syrian refugees in Jordan. The ongoing conflict in Syria has forced more than 1.9 million people to flee the country, with women and children making up three-quarters of the refugee population.

"The humanitarian impact of the conflict in Syria is immense and widespread," says Conrad Sauvé, secretary general and CEO of the Canadian Red Cross, who visited Lebanon and Jordan in June to assess humanitarian needs. "By contributing much-needed medical and technical expertise, the Canadian Red Cross will help to meet refugees' critical needs during this time of crisis."

Jordan is currently hosting more than 518,000 registered Syrian refugees. Newly arriving refugees have faced harsh conditions at home, and many have had limited access to health care for months.

"Canada remains committed to saving lives and addressing the most critical needs of those affected by the Syrian crisis," says the Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of International Development. "Our government is working closely with the Canadian Red Cross and other partners to establish this field hospital and provide essential surgical and medical care."

The Red Cross hospital will provide critical medical and surgical care for residents of a refugee camp near Azraq, which is currently under construction. The camp will be operated by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and located approximately 50 kilometres from the Syrian border. The camp will house up to 130,000 people.

The Red Cross has committed to maintaining the hospital for at least one year. In the early stages of its operation, the hospital will be able to provide treatment to a camp population of 55,000; this can expand to up to 130,000 people as more refugees arrive. The hospital will provide surgical and medical care, x-ray and laboratory services, and maternal and child care for the camp's residents.

"The Canadian Red Cross is extremely concerned about the situation in Syria, and the conflict's impact on surrounding countries," adds Sauvé. "There are an estimated 4.25 million conflict- affected internally displaced people in Syria, and the humanitarian needs are increasing every day."

This long-term deployment to a refugee camp, a joint operation among the Canadian, Finnish, German and Norwegian Red Cross Societies under the umbrella of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and hosted by the Jordanian Red Crescent, is the first of its kind for the Red Cross Movement. The operation is made possible due to the generous financial support of the Government of Canada and the European Commission.

The Canadian Red Cross field hospital is a crucial part of the Red Cross Movement's emergency response capacities. The Canadian Red Cross modular field hospital has previously provided urgent care during public health emergencies in Haiti, Chad, Pakistan, Sierra Leone and Mozambique. Canadians wishing to support humanitarian efforts assisting families affected by the Syria conflict can donate to the Syria Crisis Fund.

Photos available at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/canadian_redcross/sets/72157635287943258/

SOURCE: CANADIAN RED CROSS

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