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EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian crisis
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"Thank God, things are getting better now. His health is improving. All I want is for him to recover. I don’t want anything else."

Omar is the only son of two Syrian refugees who met and married in a shelter in Akkar, Lebanon, about six years ago. Omar’s father is from Aleppo, his mother is from Rakkah.

Omar’s mother painfully recalls: “The accident took place around noon. I went out to get some bread and when I came back, the tent was on fire. Our neighbour managed to get Omar out and we took him to the clinic.”

Baby Omar sustained severe burns to his face and was rushed to a nearby clinic. The parents were told to go to a specific burn care unit in Tripoli, many kilometres away from their shelter.

There, UNHCR helps cover the medical costs for refugees like Omar’s parents who have no means to afford such costly yet life-saving procedures.

Jointly, the UNHCR and the EUTF cover 75% of the medical costs for Syrian refugees. This can go up to 90% for the most vulnerable patients, like baby Omar.

Omar’s father explains why their needs remain considerable: “We got some help with the costs. The accident happened four months ago. Omar is getting better now but he needs medication. And I honestly don’t have the money for it.”

Today, months after he received adequate medical treatment, Omar is on his way to full recovery. Through the project, 140,000 Syrian refugees like Omar and his parents have now better access to emergency hospital care. Yet, more has to be done as the needs remain substantial.