Iraq: Bomb attack - Médecins Sans Frontières responds

More than 100 people were injured after a bomb blast on the outskirts of the city of Mosul, northern Iraq.

More wounded are expected to arrive in the coming hours to the Jumury Hospital in the centre of Mosul. The hospital, assisted by local volunteers from Médecins Sans Frontières since 2007, immediately asked the international medical organisation for supplies of material to cover their increased needs in the emergency situation.

“The hospital has exhausted much of its available medical and surgical supplies due to the enormous number of critically wounded patients”, says Gustavo Fernandez, Head of Mission for the Iraq program based in Amman, Jordan: “Médecins Sans Frontières regrets the deaths and suffering of civilians who have been caught in this indiscriminate and terrible violence.” 

The material that is about to arrive in the hospital, consisting of surgical material, catheters, tubes, drains, iodine bottles as well as bandages and compresses, will cover the material needs of approximately 100 wounded patients. In addition, we are supplying burn kits to treat 100 burn victims.

Médecins Sans Frontières has been supporting Jumury Hospital since 2007. Besides the supply of medical material, local volunteers in the hospital’s emergency unit have undertaken trainings on the reception of mass casualties over recent months.

Despite the ongoing conflict in Iraq, which has made it difficult for humanitarian organisations to be present in the country, Médecins Sans Frontières is striving to provide medical care to the Iraqi people. Since 2006, we have implemented programs in different parts of Iraq, such as Anbar, Basra and in the Northern governorates of Tameem and Ninewa, mostly supporting hospitals by the supply of medical materials and training. In Suleimanyah, in the North, Médecins Sans Frontières has taken over the provision of services at a hospital specialised in burns. We have also established a program for reconstructive surgery in Jordan.