The World Health Organization (WHO) and Handicap International (HI) said that an estimated 1.5 million people in Syria are living with permanent disabilities, including 86,000 people whose injuries have led to amputations.
A report published Monday by the two organizations said that an estimated 30,000 people are injured in Syria every month and more than six years into the conflict, an estimated 1.5 million people have been injured.
The Syrian Interim Government (SIG) on Wednesday said that 800,000 Syrian civilians are living with permanent disabilities resulting from bombardment by the Assad regime and its allies.
SIG’s Minister of Health, Firas al-Jundi, said they had recorded 600,000 partial physical disabilities and 200,000 full disabilities, noting that there was no sufficient support for treating the injured.
Jundi went on to say that dozens of health centers established in Syria’s north to alleviate the suffering of the injured and provide physical treatment had either closed down or scaled down services due to lack of funding.
Less than half of all public hospitals and health facilities in Syria remain functional. Most of them are poorly equipped to provide care to patients with injuries and further support person with disabilities, WHO and IH’s report added.
The cost of the installation of a prosthetic limb exceeds $1,500, while the installation of a smart prosthetic limb costs around $60,000, which is very expensive given the high number of patients who are in need.
WHO and HI called on the international community to scale up its support for people with disabilities in Syria and their rehabilitation and reintegration into society as the number of Syrian civilians who are in need of rehabilitation services increase by the day. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Agencies)
