The doctors, nurses and aid workers rebuilding Syria | Rola Hallam

TL;DR

The speaker recounts the devastating bombing of hospitals in Aleppo and emphasizes the importance of supporting local responders in crisis situations.

Transcript

"Five hospitals in Aleppo have been bombed." That was a text message that I received on a dark winter night in November 2016. One of them was a children's hospital run by my Syrian colleagues at the Independent Doctors Association, IDA. It was the sixth time it had been bombed. I watched in horror heartbreaking footage of the head nurse, Malak, in ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🏥 Local doctors, nurses, and aid workers from affected communities are crucial for the survival of people in crisis situations, but they often lack the necessary tools and resources.
• 💰 Syrian organizations carry out 75% of humanitarian work in Syria, but receive only 0.3% of the aid budget, highlighting a major funding imbalance.
• 🌍 CanDo, a start-up, addresses this imbalance by supporting local groups through an accelerator program and crowdfunding platform to raise funds for their healthcare needs.
• 🏥 The People's Convoy, a global crowdfunding campaign, successfully rebuilt a children's hospital in Syria named "Hope Hospital," and has treated over 15,000 children in a year.
• 🌍 A new humanitarian vision is needed, where global citizens stand together with local responders, providing necessary resources for effective and efficient aid.
• 💣 Hospitals are being bombed in Syria, with nearly 500 attacks documented, part of a systemic targeting and destruction of healthcare by the Syrian regime.
• 💔 Attacks on hospitals exacerbate the refugee situation, create disease epicenters, and set dangerous precedents worldwide.
• 💪 Local humanitarians show immense courage in persisting, rebuilding, and saving lives, and we can match their courage by supporting them and not turning away.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why are hospitals being bombed in Aleppo?

Hospitals in Aleppo are being bombed as part of a systemic targeting and destruction of healthcare by the Syrian regime. Physicians for Human Rights have documented nearly 500 attacks on hospitals and over 800 medical personnel killed, with over 90 percent of it attributed to the Syrian regime.

Q: What are the consequences of bombing hospitals in Syria?

The bombing of hospitals in Syria not only exacerbates the refugee situation but also creates a dangerous precedent for the safety of hospitals worldwide. A decimated healthcare system in Syria could lead to the outbreak of diseases like Ebola, posing a threat to the global population.

Q: What is CanDo and how does it address the imbalance in humanitarian aid?

CanDo is a start-up that aims to address the imbalance in humanitarian aid by enabling local responders to provide healthcare in war-devastated communities. They source trusted and impactful local groups, support their development through an accelerator program, and connect them to a crowdfunding platform. This model allows these groups to fundraise for their health needs and receive the necessary resources.

Q: How did CanDo help in rebuilding a children's hospital in Syria?

CanDo launched a global crowdfunding campaign called the People's Convoy to raise funds for the Independent Doctors Association (IDA) in Syria. They successfully raised $350,000, allowing IDA to rebuild a children's hospital named "Hope Hospital." The campaign also involved taking medical equipment from London to the Syria border.

Q: How has the establishment of Hope Hospital impacted the community?

Hope Hospital, which has been open for exactly one year, has treated over 15,000 children and provided lifesaving assistance to the community. The establishment of the hospital has not only brought hope to the affected community but also renewed faith in humanity for those who donated to the crowdfunding campaign. It demonstrates the resilience and courage of local responders in conflict zones.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Five hospitals in Aleppo have been repeatedly bombed, including a children's hospital run by local doctors who continue to provide care despite the attacks.

• Syrian organizations carry out 75% of the humanitarian work in Syria but receive only 0.3% of the aid budget, causing a lack of resources to save lives and rebuild hospitals.

• CanDo, a start-up organization, launched a global crowdfunding campaign called the People's Convoy to rebuild a new children's hospital in Syria, which has now been successfully operating for one year, treating over 15,000 children.