The Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) fully or partially suspended services in seven of its health facilities today in northwest Syria due to increased fighting along the frontline, including in areas around the town of Idlib. Four other health agencies suspended services at facilities, and the escalation caused displacement among families living near the fighting and closed all schools.
The insecurity also forced SAMS to evacuate nine Syrian Americans serving on a medical mission team this week in Syria. The SAMS volunteers conducted 104 specialized surgeries and 248 consultations, and offered 34 medical education training sessions to over 200 local medical professionals who lacked capacity-building opportunities for years due to the conflict.
To prepare for casualties, SAMS is organizing a mobile-medical unit to circulate among the displaced and is checking its inventory of trauma supplies to distribute as needed. SAMS’ Crisis Management Unit is monitoring the situation and coordinating with the United Nations and other relief agencies in Syria to provide emergency relief.
SAMS has 2,300 staff serving in nearly 40 medical facilities in northwest Syria, providing 9,000 medical services each day. SAMS also serves refugees and other vulnerable populations in Lebanon, Jordan, Gaza, Greece, Iraq, and Ukraine, and beyond.
For more information, contact info@sams-usa.net.
About SAMS:
SAMS is a nonprofit, non-political organization that works on the front lines of crisis relief, providing medical and humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable in Syria, its neighboring countries, and beyond. Last year, SAMS provided lifesaving medical services to 3.6 million people. For more information about SAMS, go to www.sams-usa.net.
