Health needs of displaced, injured from Mosul, Iraq, increasing
29 November 2016 - More than 73 000 people from Mosul and neighbouring areas in Iraq have been displaced as a result of the ongoing conflict since 17 October. The majority of those displaced are currently hosted in Ninewa governorate, where health services are overwhelmed. As the conflict in Mosul reaches more densely populated areas, the number...
WHO scales up trauma care services for injured people from Mosul, Iraq
23 November 2016, Erbil, Iraq – As military operations into Mosul continue, WHO is working with national health authorities to ensure that people with war-related trauma injuries have access to live-saving medical care. WHO anticipates that approximately 40 000 civilians will require care for trauma injuries as a result of Mosul military...
Civilians caught in the cross-fire: WHO supports trauma care services for people in and around Mosul
9 November 2016 – The stories of civilians caught in the cross-fire in and around Mosul are heartbreaking and horrific. WHO is ensuring that life-saving health services are available to injured people, supporting the tireless work of the Erbil Directorate of Health to provide emergency medical care to all those who need it. 14-year old Ahmed* and...
WHO ensures health services for populations exposed to toxic sulfur and oil fumes south-east of Mosul, Iraq
Thousands of residents and newly displaced persons in Al Qayyarah and nearby towns have been exposed to serious health risks as a result of the toxic cloud. WHO/Oday Ibrahem31 October 2016 – 15-year-old Zainab was suffering from severe suffocation when her family brought her in to the main primary health care clinic in Al-Qayyarah town, south-east...
Mental health in emergencies
WHO estimates that 1 in 30 Syrians is suffering from severe mental health conditions such as severe depression, psychosis, or a disabling form of anxiety and that at least 1 in 5 Syrians is suffering from mild to moderate mental health conditions such as mild to moderate depression or anxiety disorders. 01/10 Start Stop Previous Next
Health workers and patients between life and death in eastern Aleppo city
4 October 2016 – 3-year old Khalid* was badly injured when he was brought into the hospital. He was walking in the street when a blast erupted, destroying buildings around him and trapping him under the rubble. He was found by passers by, who took him and tens of other injured civilians by car to the closest functioning hospital. Khalid was taken...
Syria: Reaching besieged populations
2 October 2016 – Since the beginning of the conflict in Syria, civilians have been denied access to life-saving and basic services, including health services, in specific areas inside the country. As of July 2016, the number of people in need living in hard-to-reach and besieged areas is 5.47 million people, including 590 200 in besieged locations...
Recognizing health as a human right for refugees and migrants
25 September 2016 – War, conflict and persecution have forced millions of people to flee their homes and seek refuge and safety elsewhere. As of 2015, there were 250 million international migrants, of which 150 million are migrant workers. Also affected are particularly vulnerable groups of refugees (21.3 million) and internally displaced persons...
Somalia: Two years polio-free
18 September 2016 - In August 2016, Somalia marked two years since its last case of wild poliovirus, a child from Hobyo District of Mudug region who was paralyzed on 11 August 2014. Since then, no new cases of wild poliovirus have been reported. This major achievement was made possible as a result of intensive collaboration between the Somali...
#ProtectHealthWorkers: stop the attacks on health care in Syria
18 August 2016 – #ProtectHealthWorkers is a campaign by WHO focusing on health workers and health facilities, highlighting the challenges and risks they face every day, and monitoring their safety, making sure they remain protected and unharmed. Syria is now the most dangerous country in the world for health workers. The number of attacks on...