People living in the refugee camps of northern Syria suffer from skin diseases due to the lack of health and cleaning services. The diseases are spreading in the camps due to the high prices of medicines and treatments. Dermatologist Safaa Al-Alluş calls on health workers and doctors to support the people in the refugee camps and she demands free medicines for the people.

SOOHÊR EL-IDLIBÎ

Idlib – Skin diseases are spreading in the refugee camps located in northern Syria due to the lack of health and cleaning services. The rubbish near the camps, lack of water and open sewers are the main causes of skin diseases.

His skin itches for a month

8-year-old Heysem El-Dahduh is one of the children suffering from skin diseases in the refugee camps. He cannot sleep because his skin has itched for a month. His mother Selam El-Xetib (38) told us that she cannot take her son to the doctor due to economic reasons. Selam El-Xetib, who migrated from the Kansafra town of Idlib three years ago, complains about the high cost of the examination. “My husband sometimes finds a job and works. I took my son to a free health center, but because of the lack of specialist doctors, my son hasn’t recovered,” she said.

It is an infectious disease

8-year-old Bara El-Selim is another child suffering from a skin disease. Her mother Selam El-Bakri (40) told us that her daughter cannot play with her friends anymore due to her skin disease. Stating that five more members of the family have been diagnosed with this disease before, Selam El-Bakri said, “It is an infectious disease. Many children suffer from this disease. We don’t know anything about this disease so we cannot do anything to prevent it from spreading. The pharmacist in the camp gave us some creams but they didn’t work.”

Call on health workers and doctors

Dermatologist Safaa Al-Alluş told us that skin diseases are spreading because many people live in a tent. “Every day, I examine many patients. Most of those who suffer from skin disease are children living in the refugee camps. This situation shows us that the living conditions in the camps are very bad and the people haven’t received any health or cleaning services. An urgent measure should be taken to prevent the diseases from spreading in the camps. There are one million seven hundred refugees living in the refugee camps of Syria. More than 1400 of them are living in camps located in the north of Idlib. Health workers and doctors should support the people in the refugee camps and provide free medicines and examinations for the people.”