The refugee camp is a place of dirt. Even though there is running water, active Halim plays in the dirt much of the day. He has a lack of activities and an abundance of other children to play with. When he gets even a small cut, it has trouble healing because it is always full of dirt. In the clinic, we provide treatment, and also education on keeping the wounds clean so that they can have a chance to recover. It is a comfort to Halim and his family to have the kind doctors and nurses available to them when they need them. He jokes with the translators and plays tricks. He is interested in what happens in the clinic. Maybe one day he will be a doctor somewhere in Europe. Or maybe he will go back home and rebuild when things calm down. Hallim has hope and a future.
Written by Paul Bunge, MD
while volunteering for WAHA International in camps in North Greece, under the ASB project, funded by ECHO (European Union Humanitarian Aid).
“This document covers humanitarian aid activities implemented with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of the European Union, and the European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.”