Four-year old Fatima was diagnosed with carcinoma eight months ago. She used to receive treatment at Aleppo University Hospital, but the ongoing fighting in the city forced her family to flee their home town and relocate to Jaramana, near Damascus. 

10 March 2013 – After almost two years of conflict, accessing life-saving treatment in Syria is becoming increasingly difficult due to severe shortage of essential medicines.

Four-year old Fatima was diagnosed with carcinoma eight months ago. She used to receive treatment at Aleppo University Hospital, but the ongoing fighting in the city forced Fatima, her mother, brother and two sisters to flee their home town and relocate to Jaramana, near Damascus. “My daughter used to be treated with radioiodine, but the medication is no longer available in Aleppo.” Her mother Zakia said. “Here [in Damascus] we regularly go to al-Assad Hospital but they don’t have the medication either. They said they don’t have the required materials. I don’t know what that means! I just want Fatima to receive her treatment.” If Fatima does not receive her radioiodine treatment soon, her chances of surviving cancer will be in danger.