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We are in a medical warehouse in Rayhaniyah in Turkey, joined by Diyaa' Abu-nour
Abu-nour can you describe to us the role this place plays in delivering aid to the Syrian people?
In the name of Allah. The function of this warehouse is to regulate and organise the process of distributing aid inside Syria.
Aid is dispatched in different forms; as first aid kits, medicines, and as field hospitals.
First aid kits can be advanced and contain every possible item needed to treat a patient.
We used to be able to purchase medicines from Syria and distribute them there.
Which used to save us large sums of money, because Syrian medicines are of good quality and are cheaper.
Whilst Turkish and European medicines are much more expensive, they cost 5 - 10 times more the Syrian equivalent
Now that all manufacturing facilities have been bombed, most pharmaceutical companies have closed down
and we don't want to drain Syria of its already scarce medicinal resources
When we can send these essential medicines from Turkey or other European states.
But this process will cost us much more than what we used to pay before.
If previously we needed €100k, we now need €500k - €1 million to meet the cost of medicines.
We're particularly concerned with securing 3 types of medicines; anti-biotics, pain-killers, and anaesthetics
We're in urgent need of anti-biotics and anaesthetics as we have a massive shortage in these two medicines
Do you send the medicines to Syria on a daily or weekly basis? or do you only send them when there is a need?
We have two methods for distributions. The first entails distributing the basics to all areas in equal amounts
The second is about distributing aid to disaster stricken areas where we try to respond in a timely manner to the urgent needs of the people
For example Aleppo is now being badly hit and there's a real disaster there.
We're speaking on the 10th August. So we try to get aid to them as quickly as possible.
The injuries in Aleppo are unimaginable due to the heavy artillery used.
One of the under resourced aid centres received 90 wounded people yesterday.
We try as much as we can to make up for the shortage
Our main duty is to organise the process for delivering aid, we're not a body that has the financial resources.
We just liaise with donors to ensure the aid enters into Syria. We oversee the process of distribution inside Syria.
What about receiving medicines as donations? Are there any difficulties related to receiving these and distributing them?
Distributing such medicines is extremely difficult.
Some doctors when they come to Turkey, they bring with them some medicines which they carry in their suitcases.
But unfortunately, around 50% of these medicines are not useful to us. We only need the 3 types of medicines I mentioned before
Do you prefer that the aid is financial so you can buy the medicine yourselves?
Certainly. This also helps us to buy only what is necessary. We've received medicines for cholesterol and other things which we have no need for.
The process for distributing such medicines is riddled with difficulties.
We need to first donate them to a Turkish charity which in the end hands them back to us in a very long winded process that might work, or might not work.
Whilst monetary donations allow us to purchase the medicines in a very easy and transparent process
where the receipts are shared with our donors, and where we document how the medicines have been distributed.
Can you give us a tour of the other rooms where you keep the first aid kits?
This room holds medical supplies such as surgical threads, sterilisers, cotton, bandages used in first aid kits.
We prepare these kits ourselves.
We put in them surgical threads, the steriliser, the syringes, burn plasters, antibiotics, plaster bandages to stop the bleeding.
You can actually save a life with one of these plaster bandages.
Many martyrs have lost their lives because of continuous bleeding from a wound that would have been easily treated, but died from an acute decrease in blood volume.
This plaster is one of the most crucial components of the aid kit because it can deal with life-threatening hemorrhages
A fully equipped first aid kit costs between $1000 - $1300.
We try to set up field hospitals and prepare them with all the needed equipment.
We have a list of the equipment and medical supplies needed to have the hospitals run for a month even if a siege was to be laid on a particular area and aid was cut off.
Yesterday we went into Syria, and delivered some supplies to field hospitals, and it wasn't a very difficult process.
especially that north Syria has been liberated and the Turks are cooperating.
We went to Atmeh in Idlib where we handed the supplies to people from Aleppo who had come to pick them up.
We ourselves were not able to get into Aleppo.
Entering Aleppo now is too dangerous. We advice that only the revolutionists, and people from Aleppo who know the area well to move in and out.
It seems these first aid kits, and field hospitals will be needed for longer than expected; even after the violence comes to an end.
Of course. Especially that medicinal plants have been severely affected to the extent that a lot of medicines are no longer available in Syria.
In contrast to just a month ago when Syria was the one exporting medicines to neighbouring countries such as Iraq and Algeria.
Now, we even have a shortage in babies milk.
Now our exporting capacity has been brought to a halt and resources have become scarce.
In the case a medicinal plant has not been bombed, then the workers have no means to getting there.
So the need for donations and for medical aid will continue for much longer, even after Assad is toppled, God willing.
We pray that the injured and the sick in Syria and everywhere else are cured. It was a pleasure speaking to you Abu Nour.