The German representative of the Northeast Syrian Autonomous Administration will organize an event called “Emergency Health: The Effects of the Destruction of Civil Infrastructure in Northern and Eastern Syria” in Berlin on 25 November.

Since the beginning of October, the Turkish army has been bombing much of the vital civilian infrastructure in the Autonomous Region of Northern and Eastern Syria (AANES). So far, over 500 targets have been hit in the region and dozens of people have been killed or injured. Large parts of the critical infrastructure were damaged: water and energy supplies, grain silos, schools, oil fields and the only gas production facility. On 5 October, the Covid hospital in Dêrik was completely destroyed. Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been without electricity and water. All of this affects a region that was already partially destroyed by the major earthquake nine months ago and the damage has not yet been repaired.

The people in Northern and Eastern Syria can hardly survive without water, electricity and gas. The constant attacks with drones are intended to wear down and traumatize the population. The representative of the AANES in Germany fear a further increase in refugees to Europe in the next few months and said: “We want to take stock of the extent of the destruction and the impact on people’s health.”

The event will take place on Saturday, 25 November, from 2 to 5 p.m. in the salon of the Franz-Mehring-Platz 1 conference center in 10243 Berlin.

The AANES representation in Germany requests advance registration at [email protected] and informs that a German-Kurdish translation is available and online access via Zoom is possible.

Program and speakers

2 p.m.: Welcome by Khaled Davrisch, representative of the self-government of North and East Syria in Germany

2:10 p.m.: Greetings from Dr. Abdulkarim Omar, representative of the self-government of North and East Syria in Europe

2:20 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.: Extent of destruction and the impact on people's health

Chair: Erkan Pehlivan

•Dr. Ahmad Yousef (Chair of the Medical Association in North and East Syria)

• Akram Naasan (emergency medicine doctor, Internationale Nothilfe e.V.)

•Dr. Ali Basrawi (doctor in Kobanê, Poverty and Health in Germany e.V.)

•Dr. Michael Wilk (emergency doctor with several relief missions in northern and eastern Syria)

• Sherwan Bery (Partnerships Coordinator, Heyva Sor a Kurd / Kurdish Red Crescent)

• Zaina Abdullah Ali (Co-President of the University of Rojava in Qamishlo, North and East Syria)

There will be an opportunity for questions and discussion afterwards.