Israeli Doctors Provide Critical Medical Care to Syrian Children Affected by Conflict

In recent months, Israeli doctors have been delivering medical treatments to dozens of Syrian children in need, including victims of the deadly massacre against the Druze population in As-Suwayda last year. One such child is 10-year-old Amer, who was severely injured in the July 2023 attack. This care is part of a special initiative led by the Natan Worldwide Aid Association and the Elin Pediatric Rehabilitation Hospital in Jerusalem, in cooperation with the Syrian hospital in As-Suwayda. The Syrian hospital identifies the children, while Israeli doctors provide treatment, often through remote medical technologies. Some fortunate children, like Amer, have even traveled to Israel for surgeries and further care.

So far, Israeli medical teams have treated 15 Syrian children, with another 15 in the process of joining the program. The cases are often severe and sometimes life-saving. Alice Miller, CEO of Natan, highlighted the case of Karen, an 8-year-old disabled girl suffering from a serious illness and living without bladder function or medical supervision. Dr. Sharon Shaul, head of medicine at Natan, explained that doctors developed specialized equipment to manage Karen’s fluid balance, saving her life, and created a new leg brace to improve her mobility.

The project involves dozens of volunteers from Elin Hospital and Natan, including doctors, occupational therapists, and engineers who develop medical and technological solutions to save lives and enable basic functions for these children. Miller emphasized that Natan provides aid to children with disabilities in conflict zones who lack access to medical care, operating solely on donations. Each child's treatment costs approximately $1,000, funded by donors abroad and Israeli citizens alike.