​​​​​​​Impact of blockade on KRC's services in al- Shahba canton

With the displacement of the people of Afrin canton towards al-Shahba canton, the canton administration opened five camps, one of which is Barkhadan camp in Favin district in al-Shahba canton, then the Kurdish Red Crescent organization opened a center there, in order to provide medical services to the people and treat patients.

More than 750 families live in Barkhadan camp, who receive medical services and treatment through the Kurdish Red Crescent Organization center in the camp, where two internal and cardiologists take turns examining and treating patients throughout the week.

Like other sectors, the health sector was affected by the siege, before the Damascus government tightened its siege nine months ago, the Kurdish Red Crescent Organization was providing its medical services to the fullest, especially medicines of all kinds, including medicines for chronic and communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, heart disease and diabetes.

The administrator at the Kurdish Red Crescent Center in Barkhadan camp, Haider Rashid, explained, "Before the tightening of the siege, medicines used to enter the canton after paying large sums of money, but nine months ago, the entry of medicines was strictly prohibited, which greatly affected our work. Today, we cannot provide the medicines that patients need.”

Regarding summer and high temperatures, Rashid said, "There are more than 750 families in the camps, and we know that the temperatures inside the tents are high, so the residents, especially children, are exposed to high temperatures, heatstroke and diarrhea, in addition to shortness of breath."

"The cases that come to us, we examine and provide everything we have, and if we do not have medicines, the people are forced to buy them from pharmacies."

 Rashid said, "We used to distribute medicines on a monthly basis to all patients with diseases such as heart, diabetes, blood pressure, tuberculosis, and even dialysis. However, these medicines are not available to us, and some of them are not even available in pharmacies, which adds a great burden to patients."

Rashid noted, "If the Damascus government continues to impose its siege on the displaced from Afrin and the residents of al-Shahba, the region will witness a humanitarian catastrophe."

At the end of his speech, Haider Rashid called on humanitarian and human rights organizations to carry out their duty and work to lift the siege on the displaced people of Afrin and the residents of al-Shahba, and to support the region with medical supplies.

a.k

ANHA