31 October 2017•Update: 31 October 2017
SANLIURFA, Turkey
Mustafa Haji, 70, lost his left leg in a bomb attack in Syria two years ago.
Haji was able to walk again, after he received a prosthetic leg, at a health center in Turkey’s southeastern Sanliurfa province.
"I am very excited as I have a leg again. I believe my life will be much easier now. I appreciate Turkey's support," said the Syrian refugee who currently lives in Turkey.
Syrian refugees who have lost their limbs in the vicious civil war, experience joy and a chance to hold on to life after treatment at the Orthotics and Prosthetics Center.
So far, 23 Syrian refugees have been treated at the center built by the joint efforts of Turkey-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) and the Alliance of International Doctors (AID), and Kuwait-based Bayt-al Zakat also known as Zakat House.
The refugees receive free-of-cost prosthetics or orthotics, followed by physiotherapy at the center.
Dr. Necmi Esiyok, representative for AID, told Anadolu Agency that they aim to ease the pain of refugees, by not only focusing on their physical well-being but also addressing their psychological needs.
"Through the joint project, we provide orthotic-prosthetic support to the Syrians free-of-cost. Rather than traditional methods, the measurements are automatically taken via a 3D printer, a method being used for the first time in Turkey. Thus, allowing us to create limbs suitable for an individual’s body,” he said.
“Our services for the asylum seekers will continue in the future,” he added.
Sanliurfa hosts the largest number of Syrian refugees in Turkey.
Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests. Since then, more than 250,000 people have been killed and in excess of 10 million displaced, according to the UN.
According to official statistics, Turkey currently hosts more than 3.4 million Syrians who have fled north since the beginning of the civil war.
Ankara calculates that it has spent at least $30 billion sheltering and providing for these guests.
Reporting by Rauf by Merve Aydogan
