Baghdad, 28 November 2018 – The World Health Organization (WHO) dispatched a consignment of lifesaving medicines and medical kits and supplies to Shirqat General Hospital in Shirqat District north of Salah Eldin Governorate.

The consignment contained more than 13 tons of medications including 4 Trauma A and 4 Trauma B Kits, one surgical kit, and 80 Inter-agency Health Emergency Kits (IHEK) of both basic and supplementary units. The consignment is sufficient to treat a population of 10.000 for a duration of 3 months.

The medication was handed over to Shirqat General Hospital to support the local health authorities meet the scale up in demand for first line and emergency health care services following the flash floods that severely affected Shirqat district in the governorate.

“WHO is committed to supporting the Ministry of Health and local health authorities in providing urgent health care services to the in-need population all over Iraq,” said Dr. Adham Ismail WHO Acting Representative in Iraq.

“WHO and its health partners are still required to deliver more and intervene further to ensure availability and easy access to health services including the referral and ambulatory services in IDP camps as well as remote and hard to reach areas,” added Dr. Ismail.

The wave of heavy rains and flash floods, which recently hit a number of governorates in Iraq, has severely affected under recovery areas and caused significant damage to properties in addition to disruption in transportation, water, and power supply.

In Salah Eldin governorate, over 1000 houses were swept away leading to the evacuation of more than 5000 residents of Shirqat district, considered among the worst affected.

Although health authorities in the governorate reported the death of 8, injury of 20, and missing of yet an unidentified number of citizens, the health situation in the governorate is in control. One WHO mobile medical clinic and five MOH ambulances were deployed at the beginning of the event to provide on-spot primary, referral, and ambulatory health services to flash floods victims.

No abnormal trends of diseases were reported but WHO urged local health authorities and partners to remain vigilant and monitor communicable disease cases trend through WHO Early Warning Alert and Response Network system (EWARN).

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For more information please contact:

Ajyal Sultany, WHO Iraq, sultanya@who.int, +964 7510101469

Pauline Ajello, WHO Iraq, ajellopa@who.int, +964 7510101460