Berlin, 10th April 2019

Berlin based relief organisation CADUS e.V. is supporting the construction of a field hospital in the al-Hawl refugee camp in the northeast of Syria. Medical care is one of the most pressing issues of the camp which is hopelessly crowded with over 75.000 people. One of the main reasons for the big number of people in the camp is the collapse of the „Islamic State“ (ISIS).

For this reason, CADUS is working nonstop together with very few other NGOs on the ground in order to improve the refugees's situation as much as possible. One major problem is how to provide medical care to so many people. CADUS is addressing this issue by building a hospital with 30 beds and an operating room together with partner organisation Heyva Sor a Kurd (Kurdish Red Crescent). CADUS crew will be acting in an advisory role as well as training local medical personnel on the flight. This way, we aim to create a sustainable medical infrastructure to the benefit of not only the camp but the whole region.

The refugee camp was growing this rapidly only recently after the last piece of ISIS-controlled territory, Baghuz, was taken by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). For this reason, the camp's population also includes former ISIS fighters and many of their families. This adds to a high potential for conflict with regard to the already tense supply situation. But for CADUS there is no doubt that every human being has a right to medical care.

„The situation here is precarious. During the last few weeks, Thousands of people arrived from the last ISIS strongholds. Especially malnutrition is a huge problem.“
Verena Lauble, Project Coordinator and Deputy Managing Director