While parts of Germany have been hit by massive rain floods in recent weeks and are now facing the consequences of this destructive force, an opposite catastrophe has been unfolding in northeastern Syria in recent months - water is more than scarce and countless people have been cut off from their electricity and drinking water supplies.
The last open border crossing between Turkey and northern Syria is extended for one year, relief supplies can continue to be delivered to the northwest. 3.2 million people can thus be supplied for another 12 months. What happens afterthose 12 months is still uncertain.
35 of the leading aid agencies have joined together to warn of the suffering and increased, irreversible, damage if the growing humanitarian needs in Syria are not met and a political solution is not found. The 35 agencies have highlighted that a decade since the outset of the conflict, living conditions for many Syrians are worse than ever.
The requirements for equipment used in crisis areas are often quite different from those for normal medical equipment. In our Makerspace, we are currently developing various projects needed for missions. Two of our latest builds are a mobile washbasin and a modular treatment stations for patients.
In northeast Syria, everyday-masks are expensive and rare goods. Together with local seamstresses, we have produced and distributed over 8000 masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Today, on International Volunteer Day, we only want to say two words: THANK YOU! A huge thank you to all our Volunteers at CADUS. It is only together that we can sustain this organisation, and you play an important part in shaping CADUS and giving it a face.
For almost four weeks we have been daily treating the inhabitants of the camp Kara Tepe 2 on Lesvos. Through medical access, we gain an insight into life in the camp. Many clinical pictures repeat themselves again and again. They are probably directly related to the current living conditions there, and range from frequent back problems, due to sleeping on the tent floor, to serious psychological problems.
Two members of our crew, who've been in the camp Kara Tepe 2 talk about the time they spent there. Rebekka (doctor) and Lamin (paramedic) give an account of what it's like to do medical work in a refugee camp. They talk about what frustrated them the most and the new impressions they gained.
After a long wait and several failed attempts, it's happening: CADUS is going to Lesvos. In cooperation with the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB), we have responded to an official request and are sending a medical team to Kara Tepe 2 (also called Moria 2) to provide humanitarian aid. A small crew from CADUS is already on-site, preparing the mission.
Despite the obvious emergency on the island of Lesvos and official requests for support, the Greek government is delaying rapid assistance from independent organizations.
