WHO provides medical aid to Armenians victims of severe burns in fuel depot explosion

Anjali Sharma

GG News Bureau

UNITED NATIONS, 2nd Oct. World Health agency on Sunday said that it’s teams in Goris, Armenia are working hard to assist not only the refugees fleeing the Karabakh region but also providing urgent medical support to individuals coping with severe burn injuries resulted from a massive fuel depot explosion that occurred last week.

WHO reported over 170 people were killed and over 200 more injured, many with grievous burns and in a critical condition, in an explosion at a crowded fuel depot along the route taken by those entering Armenia.

WHO Special Envoy Robb Butler visited a burns treatment centre in Yerevan, describing the suffering as “heart-breaking”.

Mr. Butler said “Every single bed in this 80-bed hospital is occupied with a survivor from the explosion in Karabakh. Health workers here are working hard to treat and rehabilitate them, but this is a small country with limited capacity, and the needs are immense.”

The agency provided burns kits as well as mobilizing international support to deploy burns specialist to support the needs there.

It is also gauging how it can best support rehabilitation for the survivors in the medium and longer term.

WHO is providing refugees with vital health services, including mental health and psychosocial support to the victims of the fire.

It is setting up modular prefabricated clinics and is supporting the Armenian Government integrate health workers, including about 300 doctors and 1,200 nurses who arrived from the Karabakh region into primary healthcare centres and hospitals in Armenia.

WHO stressed that it is sending medicines for non-communicable diseases, which will cover three months of treatments for up to 50,000 persons.

The agency estimated 100,000 people have crossed into Armenia.

UN teams on the ground are supporting the arrivals and working with the authorities and partners.

UNICEF has established a children’s’ safe space in Goris, serving 300 children every day with their parents.

It offers a space for children to play, a breastfeeding space for mothers and paediatric support to help with acute concerns.

WFP is providing people with hot meals, food parcels and food cards.

UNHCR is supporting the Government with technical equipment, including laptops and tablets, to facilitate registration.

It has provided essential relief items such as foldable beds and mattresses for refugees.