Stephanie Perrin 
For families fleeing conflict, the greatest threat to survival—once they have reached the safe harbor of a refugee camp and have access to food and water—is the lack of medical care.
Last summer, over 8,600 people were displaced from their homes in and around Mosul. They gathered their families and set up temporary lives in a small, makeshift refugee shelter called Dream City. They had no access to healthcare. I cannot imagine the anxiety of not being able to provide ANY medical care for myself and my family.
Then in November 2016, a handful of dedicated local professionals—two doctors, two nurses, and three facilitators changed all that. With a very modest budget, they turned a two-room tent into a clinic and began providing medical care in Dream City. They named this facility the Peace Zone clinic.
This joint project of Preemptive Love and the Iraqi Children Foundation offers free basic healthcare to patients from Dream City and other nearby residents. The medical professionals are trained in pediatric, geriatric, and maternal health. They diagnose and treat acute illnesses, provide medication, treat chronic illnesses like hypertension and diabetes, and refer patients with more serious symptoms to specialized clinics.
New moms receive financial support for C-sections (when needed) and coaching/support for breastfeeding. Clinic staff offer breastfeeding support and financial assistance if further help from specialists is needed. Wheelchairs and crutches are provided to those who need them.
Elderly patients receive home visits from the doctors if they aren’t able to walk to the clinic themselves. And social workers are trained to help with mental health needs.
In the first three months that the clinic has been open, over 5,330 consultations with patients were conducted. Over 2,300 of those were for children under five.
Every day the Peace Zone Clinic is open, an average of 60 people are able to have their medical needs assessed and attended to by competent professionals.
Thank you for helping to meet this dire need and provide this beautiful form of peace.
