São Paulo – Humanitarian emergencies currently affecting Syria, Iraq, Yemen and South Sudan are the ones causing the most concern for the World Health Organization (WHO), said this Tuesday (5) Rick Brennan, director of WHO’s Department of Emergency Risk Management and Humanitarian Response. “We consider these emergencies the most important, for the number of people affected and the unbelievable devastating effects of the conflicts in the health area. Besides, these are conflicts that don’t seem that will be solved soon”, said Brennan.
According to the organization’s estimation, in these four countries there are more than 32.5 million people in need of medical and health care, which accounts for almost half of all 79 million people under this situation throughout the world in 2015. WHO believes that to meet this needs in 2016 it will need funding of around USD 2.2 billion in aid, of which WHO itself will contribute a quarter. The organization is also seeking aid with vaccines, drugs and medical equipment for the 5 million refugees that moved to the neighboring countries.
*Via Agência Lusa. Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
