Action Group – Damascus:
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) launched a health and humanitarian program in the Syrian capital targeting survivors of prison abuse, with the aim of mitigating the profound physical and psychological effects of detention and torture.
The program combines general medical consultations and referrals to specialized care, along with psychological and social support, while providing beneficiaries with access to non-medical services provided by local partner organizations.
Laura Guardiola, the organization’s medical advisor in Damascus, said the suffering of former detainees is beyond imagination. She noted that “the conditions many of them endured during their detention have caused physical and psychological damage that cannot be easily erased,” describing the mental health consequences as “truly terrifying.”
The program, which launched a few months ago, identified a worrying gap in access to care between women and men. Female patients accounted for only 15% of all consultations in the first two months, while children were almost absent from the clinic. The organization considered this an indicator of the extent of the social and psychological barriers preventing women and children from seeking care.
Observers believe that this type of initiative reflects an attempt to fill a major gap in the support system provided to survivors of detention in Syria, where the issue of detainees and former prisoners remains one of the most pressing and complex humanitarian issues.