A medical centre for families displaced by war and disaster in Northern Syria is being paid for by Bristol pharmacy tech business Invatech Health.
The firm has donated £54,000 to fully fund the facility in a new village being built by UK charity and NGO Action for Humanity. The donation is one of its largest-ever single donor contributions.
The new centre will include a pharmacy and will provide healthcare services – including clinics for gynaecology, internal disease, paediatrics, dentistry, physiotherapy, radiography and pharmacy – to 4,000 vulnerable people.
>Invatech Health’s donation follows a four-day visit to the war-torn region by its CEO and tech entrepreneur Tariq Muhammad.
Tariq was one of four UK pharmacists in the delegation, which witnessed first hand the plight and suffering of thousands of people, mostly children, whose lives have been shattered by a decade of civil war.
The visit was organised by Action for Humanity, which is currently providing clean water, food, shelter, healthcare and education for millions of Syrians.
Since the conflict in Syria started in 2011, more than 6m people have been displaced and over 1m are now living in tents.
The tragedy was made worse last year following the devastating earthquake in neighbouring Turkey which destroyed even more homes across the region.
Action for Humanity’s new village will provide homes for 750 families, with each getting a two-bedroom house with a kitchen and a bathroom,
Tariq is now appealing to other business owners to help raise a further £125,000, which would fund a further 50 homes in the village.
He said those in desperate need in Syria were victims of a conflict which was often overshadowed in the national consciousness by those in Ukraine and Gaza.
“My visit to Syria was a humbling experience and I was not prepared for what I saw,” he added. “There were thousands of people living in squalid conditions with hardly any food or clean water.
“I visited a campsite where I saw children sitting in stagnant water. I sat in a tent where the father told me he burns bits of plastic to generate heat for his family.
“Having seen first hand the suffering of so many people and the impact Action for Humanity is making, I felt compelled to help.
“For many it may seem only a drop in the ocean but every contribution we can make can change the lives of desperate people.”
He said as a pharmacist he wanted to support the healthcare provision in the village, having witnessed the amazing work doctors, nurses and pharmacists were already doing.
“In recent months much of the focus in the Middle East has turned to the appalling devastation in Gaza and understandably people are concerned about the humanitarian suffering over there,” Tariq added.
“But Syria is a reminder of the aftermath of war and what displacement following a devastating conflict looks like.”
“I hope that the business community will support me to help raise funds for the 50 houses. If 50 businesses can pay for one house each that would be incredible, but any amount is greatly appreciated and will contribute to the whole project.”
Tariq has promised to personally oversee the allocation of funds and ensure that every penny donated will go towards the new village, work on which is due to start in the next couple of months.
He will be making a visit to Syria again later this year to check the progress.
“The funds from Tariq’s generous donation will go towards providing life-saving medical support to thousands of families in Northwest Syria.”
To donate to Tariq’s Syria appeal, visit https://invatechhealth.com/syria
