Imtiaz Sooliman – SABC News Gift of the Givers offering aid to Syria’s Aleppo

Stated region. We are now joined from our Durban studios by Doctor

imtia Suleiman, the founder, director and chairman of gift of

the givers, a South African non governmental organization which

has been assisting Syrian refugees since 2012

Doctor Suleman, eh,

good afternoon and nice to talk to you, as we are reporting there, a

new deal is being negotiated to complete the evacuation of rebel

held areas in Syria's

that that that is in Syria's east of Aleppo. Now, are you prepared

for this new influx of refugees,

you can never be totally prepared for refugees or casualties inside

Syria, but the fact that we're there for four years, we have two

hospitals, we have a team of 200 medical person support personnel,

we have feeding centers, we have a warehouse, and we Have many houses

where we can hold people and keep them to treat them. We also have

refugee camps, so in a way, logistically, yes, we are prepared

on the ground. We have the capacity to take in many more

patients. In fact, we're expecting hundreds of casualties to come to

the hospital. They've already given us advance notice from

Aleppo. The first 12 arrived in the last 48 hours. They said a few

more 100 on the way. But of course, because the deal fell

apart, they were stuck inside Aleppo. But in the next day,

coming days, we're expecting a huge influx of those casualties,

and we will manage them. But where exactly have you set up those

camps and hospitals, and what kind of assistance are you giving them?

We have two hospitals. The region is called darqush. It's an area

right next to Idlib region. It's so far in inverted commas, a safer

area for us. We run two of the largest hospitals in the entire

North Syria, because most of the other hospitals have been bombed.

In fact, the many attempts were made to bomb both our hospitals

and damage was sustained damage on five or six occasions, but we

survived that. The type of assistance we provide primarily is

trauma assistance, taking in wounded and injured people. In

addition to that, we have normal maternal care, many care for

mothers and pediatric care for children. We have primary health

care. We even have dialysis facilities. We have ICUs

orthopedic surgeons, general surgeons, neurosurgeons, vascular

surgeons, and a whole range of medical support. Besides the

medical support, of course, as I mentioned, we've put up the tents

and the food and the water, the blankets and right now, besides

the the fighting itself, the biggest problem is the elements.

It's a minus six degrees and many people are outside in cold

weather. They going to need a huge amount of support, besides medical

services. Mm, hmm.

Now you've been working in this region now since 2012 but what are

the major challenges of this kind of operation, and do you get

enough support from all the belligerents in this conflict?

Well, the problem is there's a continuation, there's a flux

situation all the time. In the hospital that we set up when we

set it up in 2012

there were only civilians in the area, and maybe some elements of

the Free Syrian Army. The Free Syrian Army at that point,

Farmers, Agricultural people, were not real fighters. At some point

the situation changed. ISIS moved into the area six kilometers away

from the hospital. Then they moved on, and then another group came in

the area. And what the continuous change of groups? We have to keep

a neutral stance with all the groups, and we have to make sure

that no group invades the hospital, takes the hospital or

tries to make it its own, and to get political gain, we've made it

very clear that this is a humanitarian facility. It will

treat combatants and noncombatants. It will treat any

human from any group, from any society, and in fact, indeed,

we've treated people from all groups and all factions in that

hospital, and that's why it's respected. The second challenge is

to avoid being bombed in May last year, the bomb hit close to the

hospital and blew up our windows and doors, and that's why it

necessitated us putting a second hospital inside darqush, but near

the Turkish border. A few months ago, that hospital was also an

attempt was made to bomb that hospital. So that's a huge

challenge. The third challenge, can you retain medical personnel?

Many, many medical personnel feel it's not safe. Well, it's obvious

it's not safe for them or their families to be inside Syria. They

need to move out. But we have been very fortunate in that our teams

are committed to stay there. And in fact, when other medical

personnel come from other bombed hospitals, they join our hospital,

and they said, if the bombs fall, we will die with the patients in

this hospital. We will not move. The fourth challenge, of course,

is to get as much resources, as far as fast as possible.

People, yes, the support from South Africa has been brilliant.

People have been supporting it. We recently have an international

organization that has arrived in Turkey. They now supporting us

with $75,000 a month. And just last night from UK organization

called and said they seen our hospital. They've heard about our

hospital. They got several containers of medical equipment

and huge amounts of cash, which they want to hand over to us and

support our hospital. So yes, we have support, but we need

substantially more.

Now, let's talk about the those volunteers you've just been

explaining now, the risks that they are exposed to. But are they

all South Africans? Though?

No, no. South Africans, you know, its foreigners are not allowed

anymore. The border is closed. South Africans went in 2013

when we initially opened the hospital. At that point, there

were only about eight or nine Syrian medical staff in that

hospital. Others were agriculture students. They are trained, and we

were also transferring skills to them, but it was totally

inadequate. South Africans can't survive that condition. You need

somebody full time, and it's best to make Syrians look after their

own people. And indeed, they feel empowered to look after their own

people. So these 200 personnel I'm speaking about are 100% Syrian.

We've asked even now in this crisis, do you need us? They said,

look, the border is closed. It's very difficult to take foreigners

in. We will manage and medical personnel from other hospitals

that are bombed will come and support us. So because they've

asked to be left independent, we are expecting that it gives them

dignity. They feel empowered, and they feel they're really serving

their people themselves. And finally, Doctor Suleman, you've

been talking about your plans to build other facilities and expand

the operation that you are having now and the limited resources that

you have. So how can those who want to help? How can they assist

you?

Well, they can visit our Unfortunately, our offices are

closed, but they can visit our website, www dot gift of the

givers.org, or they can call me personally. My phone is open. 24,

hours, oh, 832364029,

if you don't get through, leave a text message. All I can say is,

even if you cannot give something, these are human in distress.

Please. Let's pray for them, because we haven't spoke about the

difficulties, but the difficulties that people are going is really

horrendous. That needs a program on its own. Well, we wish you all

the best of luck, and thank you so much for your time that there was

Doctor imtia Suleiman, the founder, director and chairman of

gift of the givers. We'll take a short break now, but don't go

away. I will return shortly with your news headlines and more you.