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I hope Wiberg Bøyum which is from Lærdal, working as a volunteer nurse for the international committee of the Red Cross in al Hol camp in Syria. The huge camp grew up in travel at express speed with when the IS-caliphate fell in the last year.
Around 70,000 people live in tents in a crowded area. Children and women comprise 90 per cent of the children in the plural. Many are foreigners. There is also the Norwegian women and children in the camp. They live under very difficult conditions.
It is among these Bøyum jobs. He fears what happens when koronaviruset turn to.
field hospital: This is the field hospital where the Bøyum jobs. If koronaviruset come to camp, have no anything to protect himself with.
Photo: Mari Aftret Mørtvedt, ICRC Real threat
Korona-the threat is far ahead in consciousness in the field hospital where he works. Restrictions are implemented and the hygiene, care should be taken carefully. The opportunity for visits are restricted, and no one can leave the camp. It is also introduced the curfew between at 18 and 06.
Yet no one tested positive in the camp. But Bøyum and his colleagues know that it is coming.
– When the virus gets loose in the al Hol, it can be disastrous. This is a vulnerable population. People are living very densely, in a tent. There are bad hygienic conditions. Many are disabled after krigsskader, and several are bad ernært.
He tells us that they do not have the test equipment at the field hospital.
It is currently not registered so many koronasmittede in Syria, but few are tested. All testing is done in Damascus, so it will take a few days, maybe up to a week, before we get answers here to any infection, ” says Bøyum.
He and his colleagues in the Red Cross is preparing to implement more comprehensive beredskapstiltak. In all regjeringskontrollerte areas are introduced curfew, and all contact between the districts of Syria has been stopped. Bøyum think the evacuation of those who work in the hospital is difficult if someone gets seriously sick. But say they will continue sykehusdriften as long as it is possible.
HARSH CONDITIONS: the Climate is hard in the northeast of Syria. It varies from snow like this in February, to up to 50 plussgrader in the summer.
Photo: the Red Cross Closed borders
Bøyum was gone home to Norway 31. march when his six-month commitment is over. Now the return shot completely out of the blue.
the Borders of Jordan and Lebanon is closed, and it is far to Damascus. It is difficult to predict what happens, ” he says.
I’m prepared on that I must be here for an indefinite time. It is just the way it is, and difficult to do anything with.
He does not waste time on thinking too much on it. Now, the focus is on everyday life; to help as best he can.
UD can’t promise to help
From the Norwegian ministry of Foreign affairs, he can’t wait help now.
– ministry of Foreign affairs has a great understanding of the fact that many norwegians abroad experience to be in a difficult situation. We will unfortunately not have the opportunity to ensure that all Norwegian citizens can return home to Norway in the nearest future, writes communications advisor Guri Solberg in an e-mail to NRK.
She points out that the foreign service has long advised against all travel to or stay in Syria, and has urged norwegians to leave the country.
– This reiserådet is still valid. The Norwegian authorities have very limited opportunities to provide some form of assistance to Norwegian citizens in Syria. This is regardless of the reason they have travelled there or staying there, she writes.
She writes further that the UD can’t comment on the follow-up of individual cases, and refers to the Red Cross, which is Åge Wiborg Bøyums employer.
the Norwegian Red Cross also can’t promise him some to travel home with it first, even if the contract runs out on Tuesday, 31. march.
‘ll just Have to wait
dry ice Jæger is utenlandssjef in the Norwegian Red Cross. He says that the international committee of the Red Cross, which formally are Bøyums employer, working to get him out, but without that utreiseplanen is ready.
Jæger tells him that he is in regular contact with both Bøyum and his wife at home in Norway, but that it is the Red Cross international who work with the evacuation. He can’t love Bøyum any travel date.
– When koronaviruset comes on top of all the other problems, then offers it at great difficulty. Fortunately he is a seasoned envoy with many wordwide behind them, ” says Jæger.
This is a total of 12 small and large tents at the field hospital.
Photo: Olav A. Saltbones/Red Cross is the Only hospital
the Staff that Bøyum control in al Hol camp consists of seven foreign and 19 local nurses. He is the only Norwegian, but there are other scandinavians there. Although he lives outside the camp, so daily life “runs smoothly”, although most also is shut down in the city where he lives.
The hospital consists of 12 small and large tents. In all, the field hospital of 30 beds divided into tents for men and women, emergency rooms, operasjonstelt, intensive care unit, a delivery room, x-ray and laboratory, pharmacy and laundry service.
the Red Cross operates the only surgical offer of 70.000 inhabitants.
For daily work Bøyum as sjefsykepleier with planning and assists where needed. The staff takes care of the old krigsskader as it has been infections and must be cleaned under general anesthesia. The hospital also has births, blindtarmsoperasjoner, hernia and broken bones.
– Sick and underweight children also get easily other diseases, ” he says.
Missing the plot
now Already is it utstyrsmangel at the hospital. The employees must use safety equipment such as masks and coats several times.
the Hospital is also not set up with the possibility of isolation, so any infected, when it happens, must be transported to a different place.
He is an experienced nødhjelpsarbeider. The mission in Syria is his 15. wordwide. He has been among others in Bangladesh, South Sudan and Nepal. Now he does not know when he is coming home to the family.
tented camps: There are not many permanent buildings in the al-Hol camp have long since est is out of its limits. Most of them live in kakifargede tent.
Photo: Olav A. Saltbones/Red Cross More about koronaviruset StatusRåd and infoSiste nyttSpør NRK
