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Syria: Siege and starvation in Madaya; immediate medical evacuations and medical resupply essential to save lives
7 January 2016
8 July 2015 Update: The MSF-supported medics in Madaya have identified 250 people with severe acute malnutrition, including 10 patients who are in immediate need of life-saving hospitalisation care. The number of people in need of medical care is growing. If a safe medical evacuation procedure can be agreed, MSF is prepared to facilitate the identification of patients in need of evacuation at that time.
Since July 2015, a siege has been imposed by the Syrian government forces around the town of Madaya, near the border with Lebanon in Syria?s Rural Damascus Governorate. Since the single one-off food distribution on 18 October, this has been tightened to a total stranglehold siege.
Around 20,000 residents of the town are facing life-threatening deprivation of the basics for survival, and 23 patients in the health centre supported by M?decins Sans Fronti?res (MSF) have died of starvation since 01 December. MSF welcomes reports that the Syrian government will allow food supplies into the area, but urges that an immediate life-saving delivery of medicine across the siege line should also be a priority, and calls for sick patients to be allowed urgent medical evacuation to safe places of treatment.
Of the 23 people who have died, 6 were under one year old, 5 were over 60 years old, and the other 12 were between five and sixty. 18 were men and 5 were women. This indicates that the situation is affecting all age-groups and both sexes, and makes MSF extremely alarmed for the patients currently under treatment, and for the 20,000 residents who have had little to eat for months.
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7 January 2016
8 July 2015 Update: The MSF-supported medics in Madaya have identified 250 people with severe acute malnutrition, including 10 patients who are in immediate need of life-saving hospitalisation care. The number of people in need of medical care is growing. If a safe medical evacuation procedure can be agreed, MSF is prepared to facilitate the identification of patients in need of evacuation at that time.
Since July 2015, a siege has been imposed by the Syrian government forces around the town of Madaya, near the border with Lebanon in Syria?s Rural Damascus Governorate. Since the single one-off food distribution on 18 October, this has been tightened to a total stranglehold siege.
Around 20,000 residents of the town are facing life-threatening deprivation of the basics for survival, and 23 patients in the health centre supported by M?decins Sans Fronti?res (MSF) have died of starvation since 01 December. MSF welcomes reports that the Syrian government will allow food supplies into the area, but urges that an immediate life-saving delivery of medicine across the siege line should also be a priority, and calls for sick patients to be allowed urgent medical evacuation to safe places of treatment.
Of the 23 people who have died, 6 were under one year old, 5 were over 60 years old, and the other 12 were between five and sixty. 18 were men and 5 were women. This indicates that the situation is affecting all age-groups and both sexes, and makes MSF extremely alarmed for the patients currently under treatment, and for the 20,000 residents who have had little to eat for months.
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