Iranian Charity Provides Medical Care For Refugee Children

Tehran, Aug 19, IRNA – The Iranian medical charity MAHAK provides medical care to refugee children living in Iran through cooperation with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Fortunately, UNHCR and MAHAK have worked for more than 10 years in a fruitful collaboration to provide assistance to cancer-stricken refugee children, a news release issued by the UNHCR wrote. MAHAK is a non-profit, non-political, and non-governmental charity focused on treating children with cancer. It uses the most up-to-date diagnostic, treatment and prevention methods, with both outpatient and in-patient services. It provides chemotherapy, medication, lab tests, radiation therapy, CT scan, transportation and family counseling – all without regard to religion, race or nationality of patients. MAHAK is supported by fundraising and humanitarian assistance in the form of money, goods, services and technical expertise. Under the joint UNHCR-MAHAK project for 2013, a total of 76 Afghan and Iraqi refugee children under the age of 15 who suffer from cancer will be provided with medical treatment. Under this project, the accompanying parent is also provided with counseling, accommodation and food when needed because they reside outside Tehran and face difficult economic conditions. Iran has generously hosted the second largest refugee population in the world for over three decades -- currently more than 880,000 refugees, some 40,000 from Iraq and the rest from Afghanistan. The government of Iran has always provided its refugees with access to the main areas of education, livelihood and health, some of which can be life-saving. On a recent visit by UNHCR staff to MAHAK facilities, in the colorful and bright painting room mothers were creating artwork to be auctioned off to raise funds for the charity. The mothers, who get training, help with the children and paint with them, creating a warm atmosphere where they can escape the reality of what they face everyday. MAHAK takes every opportunity to cheer up the children. The staff of MAHAK convey their own hope, enthusiasm and energy to the children. Many refugee families are grateful for the economic and psychological help the UNHCR-MAHAK agreement has brought to their lives. There were children from 2- to 17-years-old struggling with leukemia, Hodgkins disease, cancerous tumors and undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy. For some the difficult road of treatment has just begun and for some it has fruitfully come to an end./end