-
“I want to become a nurse”
??”I would like to be a nurse. I’ve already learned some English words at school.” Noor-zia is 22 years old and lives in a village a few kilometres from Anaba, Afghanistan. Since 2010, we have been tending to her at our hospital. Fortunately, Noor-zia knows how to read and write, and this is of great…
-
Five years of activities of the Port Sudan Paediatric Centre
Season’s greetings from the Port Sudan Paediatric Centre staff! — and happy birthday to the Centre, opened five years ago on December 26. “There was no time, however, to celebrate,” writes Ljubica, Medical Coordinator. “We had just a few minutes to shoot this photo and send it to you, along with many THANKS for your…
-
“The Hospital of Miracles”
It was eight in the evening and the last baby was leaving the medical clinic of our Port Sudan Paediatric Centre, together with his mother. They had arrived at five in the afternoon because of gastroenteritis, a very frequent ailment in this part of the year. The baby, about one year old, improved and was…
-
The new Maternity Centre opens in Anabah
Today we inaugurated the new building at the Maternity Centre in Anabah, Afghanistan. The expansion of the existing Centre, which opened in 2003, will enable us to further improve the medical assistance provided to mothers and children living in the Panjshir Valley and surrounding Provinces. Over the years, EMERGENCY’s Maternity Centre has become a focal…
-
“Why did they beat you, Eugene?”
“Why did they beat you, Eugene??” I ask him. Raising his shoulders and stretching out his arms, he responds without losing his cheerful smile. “Well… without reason. There was no reason.” Eugene is 60 years old, and his face is weathered from the sun. I immediately note why he is ?the oldest, among the people…
-
Terrorist attack in Kabul: 21 wounded have been taken to our Hospital
Afghanistan. This morning, a terrorist attack at the Bager-ul-uloom mosque in the Darul Aman area in Kabul killed at least 27 people. Official reports talk about dozens of injured. 21 of these have been taken to our Surgical Centre for War Victims in Kabul. Unfortunately, 2 people were dead on arrival. Our staff at the…
-
“Your children are very lucky to have a mother like you”
Her eyes become clear. Looking at her son, drying her tears with her sleeves, she smiles at the child, who smiles back in turn. “I was forced to escape,” she says. “The head of my village wanted to marry me, against my will. I fought against it with all my power, but he threatened me…
-
To us, the scars tell the story of their journey
“They beat me in prison, and I was left there for three months”. He has an old bone fracture due to an assault suffered in Libya. “I wore clothes doused in gasoline for two days” he has burns from fuel and seawater, reported during the crossing of the Mediterranean. To us nurses, the scars tell…
-
Bahar, who lived through the horrors of war even before coming into the world
He is Bahar — spring in Persian — a word which recalls rebirth and life. It’s a suitable name, given the story of this boy, who lived through the horrors of war even before coming into the world. His mother, Engila, was left wounded by a rocket explosion, while she was pregnant. She was at…
-
Those who can are fleeing Lashkar-gah
Those who can are fleeing Lashkar-gah, going towards Kandahar seeking a safe refuge, far from the fighting. Some of our Afghan colleagues are leaving the city too, to keep their familiy safe. Even in these difficult days, the staff at our Surgical Centre for War Victims is working tirelessly to treat the victims of war.