Syria

Snapshot*
Population – 19.7 million
Internally displaced persons – 305,000
Refugee – 1.4 million (Iraq), 522,000 (Palestine)
Life expectancy – 71 years old
Median age – 21 years old
Infant mortality rate – 27 deaths for every 1,000 live births
Fertility rate – 3.2 children per woman
HIV/AIDS rate – Less than 0.1 percent
Literacy rate – 80 percent

Life in Syria
Upholding an open-border policy with Iraq for nearly two decades, the Syrian Arab Republic serves as a safe haven for an estimated 1.5 million Iraqi refugees.  However, Syria is now overwhelmed by what is considered to be the largest population movement since the Palestinian exodus of 1948.  The capital, Damascus, shoulders most of the burden with 80 percent of the Iraqi refugees resettling within its city limits. It is estimated that 85 percent of Iraqis have little to no access to health care, leaving the population extremely vulnerable, particularly those with chronic illnesses. Many refugees also suffer stress, trauma, anxiety, and depression, and high unemployment rates make it difficult for them to attain financial stability.  

Helping Communities Help Themselves
Bringing Relief
To date, International Medical Corps’ (IMC) is the only medical NGO and the only American NGO approved to directly implement programs.  Our programs, funded in part by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, provide primary health care services to approximately 50,000 people - at least half of whom are Iraqi refugees. These services include:          

• Primary health care
• Maternal and child care
• Expanded immunization

To increase the availability of health care for both Syrians and Iraqis, International Medical Corps has partnered with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) to support health clinics in parts of Damascus with large refugee populations. IMC is supplying the clinics with equipment, medical supplies, and staff to enable them to provide outpatient services and complete antenatal and postnatal care. Outside the health clinics, International Medical Corps also supports SARC dental clinics with dentists and dental assistants.  

Enabling Self-Reliance
To make its relief efforts sustainable, International Medical Corps’ programs train Syrians to fulfill the following roles in their programs:

• Health care workers to provide primary health care through IMC-supported health posts, mobile clinics, and health centers
  Community health workers to educate peers in basic health, such as preventable diseases, including nutrition and safe motherhood

In its mission to strengthen the capacity of local communities, International Medical Corps is designing a training course in basic childcare, hygiene, and primary health for first-time parents and clinic patients.  The IMC training will also help clinic staff and community workers diagnose and treat the five most common childhood illnesses by establishing standard case management protocols, as well as promote women’s health by educating female volunteers in maternal health.

You Can Help Build Change That Lasts
With your support, International Medical Corps is better able to expand its programs and make health care available to more Syrians, as well as to Iraqis who lack even the most basic services.  Click here to help Syria and other IMC programs worldwide.

*Statistics from U.S. Government