February 14, 2023
Turkey and Syria – Our Emergency Response
1,855 Consultations provided by doctors and midwives
Doctors of the World (DoTW) has been responding to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine for 28 weeks. The situation remains dire, with over 15 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. 3 million children inside Ukraine and over 2.2 million children in refugee-hosting countries also require aid. The Ukrainian healthcare system has been impacted dearly by the conflict, and is struggling to meet the rapidly rising demands for care.
According to WHO, there have been 382 attacks on health care, resulting in 64 injuries and 82 deaths, reported between February 24 and July 13. Attacks on health care include those against health facilities, transport, personnel, patients, supplies and warehouses.
At Doctors of the World, we receive reports of the growing number of urgent operations. There are thousands of people in acute conditions who are experiencing difficulties in accessing health care services due to the lack of funds, issues with transportation, and shortage of fuel. We have been actively providing support and relief to Ukrainian healthcare systems that are on the frontline of this violent conflict.
Around Kyiv Oblast, in de-occupied settlements, the number of patients requiring care has far exceeded predictions, and rapidly requires material and preparation. DoTW has been providing aid since the start of the conflict and the donations we delivered to health care facilities in Chernihiv Oblast in March and April have effectively supported the healthcare system where heavy fighting in the area have resulted in many casualties.
Meanwhile, in Dnipro, our team is committed to covering the needs of healthcare facilities. In the past weeks, 4 health facilities have received donations of medications and materials, allowing them to expand the capacity to provide medical aid to the most vulnerable groups that remain trapped in the conflict.
In YaMariupol hub in Dnipro, DoTW has been working exclusively with citizens that have fled Mariupol. We provided necessary medical equipment to allow a family doctor to provide treatment to those in need.
1,753 Individual consultations by psychologists and 1,707 People supported through group interventions
The provision of mental health services to the adult population affected by the military conflict is one of the fields DoTW have focused their efforts and accumulated expertise in.
In Bucha and Irpin, teams of 2 psychologists support the population impacted by the conflict through group and individual consultations. Meanwhile in Chernivtsi and Kharkiv, psychologists have been leading awareness raising sessions on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS).
The DoTW MHPSS team in Chernivtsi is further developing materials for the implementation of the Problem Management Plus program which will train psychologists and paraprofessionals to work as consultants. The training will be launched in August.
Our Doing What Matters In The Times of Stress program held for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) has already been implemented. Two groups of representatives of MHPSS professions in Chernivtsi and Novoselytsia are being trained under this program. The focus in these cases is on first-line responders, who are the first people IDPs come to with their problems.
DoTW has also adapted to provide remote MHPSS support to people living in remote areas in Donetsk and Luhansk Oblast. So far, 408 online consultations have been provided.
Our helpline, established in April, has further provided support to MHPSS needs of people who do not have access to services around Ukraine.
Meet Valeria, Olena, Vlad, and Serhii, the DoTW team who has been providing support in Ukraine, even when they themselves have been displaced. Take a look at the video and listen to their testimonies.
We continue to raise donations for our emergency appeal. It’s not too late to make a difference and help provide crucial healthcare in Ukraine today.