- Title: JORDAN: Wounded Syrians flee to neighbouring Jordan for medical treatment
- Date: 11th February 2012
- Summary: AMMAN, JORDAN (FEBRUARY 9, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF THE RED CRESCENT HOSPITAL SIGN IN ARABIC SAYING, RED CRESCENT HOSPITAL MEDICAL STAFF IN HOSPITAL CORRIDOR VARIOUS OF INJURED SYRIAN LYING ON BED INJURED SYRIAN FROM CITY OF DERAA, AHMED, WITH HEAD COVERED TO CONCEAL HIS IDENTITY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) INJURED SYRIAN FROM CITY OF DERAA, AHMED, SAYING: "I
- Embargoed: 26th February 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Jordan, Jordan
- Country: Jordan
- Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Health,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA63KD4VJONFA6U2E89JRKMX8YQ
- Story Text: Scores of Syrians wounded in violence in the months-long unrest against President Bashar al-Assad are seeking treatment in Jordan as medical facilities at home remain under control of the army.
Those able to cross to Jordan talk of widespread human rights violations by the Syrian security forces as they attempt to silence anti-Assad protests.
In the Red Crescent Hospital in Amman, Syrian national Ahmed lies on bed nursing wounds he sustained while rescuing an injured protester in city of Deraa, the cradle of anti-Assad protest.
"I went down town and saw someone dragging an injured man. I took them on my motorcycle. A man left behind was shot dead. I was beaten up by the security forces. They broke bones here and here, my knee cap and my skull. The injured man was also beaten up," Ahmed said, his head covered with a towel to conceal his identity.
Ahmed said he arrived Jordan legally, but spoke of dozens of wounded people who illegally cross land-mine bolstered borders to avoid capture by Syrian security forces.
Another wounded Syrian, Hisham, said he did not dare go to public hospitals to treat himself.
"I stayed in Syria for seven months, going from one hiding place to another. I would get secret treatment from doctors who come to my house. I came here when I found out I was not on the wanted list at the border," Hisham said, again his head covered to keep secret his identity.
The UN agency for refugees (UNHCR) has started an aid programme in association with the Paris-based Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) to provide urgent medical aid to Syrians in the neighbouring Jordan.
However, officials from MSF say they want to be allowed into Syria.
Antoine Foucher, the head of MSF's mission to Jordan and Iraq, said wounded Syrians needed hospital treatment without regard to their political position.
"The problem is not very much the access of MSF to the Syrian territory. At the end of the day, the problem is more to the respect the neutrality of the hospital and to make sure the hospital facility can welcome every patient in need, as a consequence of the conflict. This is what we are requesting nowadays. What we see is that hospitals become heavily militarized and not everybody have access to this medical facility," Foucher said.
International officials have estimated the death count in Syria, since the unrest against Assad began almost a year ago, at more than 5,000. There are no clear estimates of the number of those injured.
The Syrian government has blamed the unrest on the work of "terrorists". - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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