This article was contributed by Dr Siraj Sira, Chairperson and Co-Founder of GMF Australia.
A team of volunteers from Global Medical Foundation Australia partnered with the Syrian American Medical Society to deliver a week of medical, surgical, orthopaedic and dental care to communities in Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria, devastated by years of conflict.
For many people living in eastern Syria, the consequences of years of conflict extend far beyond the destruction of homes and infrastructure. They are reflected in untreated illnesses, children struggling with malnutrition, chronic diseases left unmanaged and patients living with debilitating injuries that have changed their lives forever.
Against this backdrop, a team of 17 volunteers from Global Medical Foundation Australia (GMFA) travelled to eastern Syria from the 18th to the 25th of September 2026, partnering with the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), a US-based not-for-profit organisation, to deliver a weeklong medical and surgical mission.
Working across Deir Ezzor, Palmyra, Hajin and Al Mayadeen, the team provided medical, general surgical, orthopaedic and dental services, treating hundreds of patients during the mission.
For the volunteers, the experience was a powerful reminder that while the headlines may fade, the human consequences of war continue long after the fighting.
From a general practitioner's perspective, one of the most confronting aspects of the mission was the burden of illness that had accumulated because patients could not access timely and appropriate healthcare.
Working in hospitals and makeshift clinics, the medical team encountered patients with chronic medical conditions that had been neglected because of limited resources, financial hardship or barriers to accessing health services.
Children were among the most vulnerable. The team assessed and managed cases involving failure to thrive, respiratory illnesses, malnutrition, intestinal worm infestations and iron deficiency anaemia. Children with congenital heart disease were also assessed, with treatment and further care needs addressed according to the resources available.
These conditions may be familiar to healthcare professionals in Australia, but their consequences can be far more severe when access to investigations, medication, nutritional support and ongoing medical follow-up is limited.
The mission was therefore about more than treating individual illnesses. It was an opportunity to identify unmet health needs, provide essential treatment and medications, and offer reassurance to families who had endured years of uncertainty and hardship.
Among the hundreds of patients seen during the mission, one encounter left an indelible impression on the team.
Shiraz, a bright and bubbly 14-year-old girl, was wheeled into my clinic on the last day of the mission. She was living with right sided paralysis after being shot in the head. She was now wheelchair-bound, with the bullet still lodged in her head.
Yet, despite the devastating injury and the profound impact it had on her life, Shiraz's spirit remained striking.
For a doctor, encountering a child in such circumstances is heartbreaking. At just 14, she should have been thinking about school, friendships and the endless possibilities of the future. Instead, she was living with the lifelong consequences of a violent injury.
Her story was a stark reminder that children are among the most innocent victims of conflict. The injuries they sustain may require years of specialist medical care, rehabilitation and support, while the emotional and social consequences can last a lifetime.
Shiraz was not simply another patient seen during a medical mission. She was a reminder of why humanitarian medical work matters, and of the responsibility we share to stand alongside people whose lives have been irrevocably changed by circumstances beyond their control.
Her courage and spirit will remain with us for a long time to come.
While the general medical team addressed a broad range of health needs, the surgical and orthopaedic teams undertook procedures aimed at improving patients' health, function and quality of life.
Our general surgical team performed many operations, including surgeries for liver hydatid cysts, hernias, gallbladder disease and emergency abdominal conditions.
These operations addressed conditions that can cause considerable pain, disability and in some cases, life-threatening complications if left untreated.
The orthopaedic team worked long hours to perform joint replacement surgeries, including knee and hip replacements for patients whose mobility and quality of life had been severely affected by debilitating joint conditions and previous war related injuries.
For patients living with chronic pain and restricted movement, joint replacement can offer the possibility of improved mobility, greater independence and a return to everyday activities that many people take for granted.
Access to basic dental treatment is often limited in communities where healthcare services have been disrupted, leaving patients to endure prolonged pain and infections without adequate care. Hence, our dental team provided much needed oral healthcare, with dental extractions forming a major part of the workload.
Together, the teams delivered a broad range of essential services to patients who might have otherwise struggled to obtain treatment.
The mission brought together dedicated volunteers from Australia, UK, USA and the Middle East who gave their time, expertise and energy to serve communities in need. Working in multiple locations and adapting to challenging clinical environments, the team demonstrated the value of collaboration in humanitarian healthcare.
The partnership with the Syrian American Medical Society was central to the mission, combining the efforts of GMFA's volunteer team with the work of an established humanitarian medical organisation supporting healthcare in Syria.
Such missions provide vital short-term assistance, but they also highlight the longer-term challenges facing communities affected by conflict. Sustainable recovery requires accessible primary healthcare, functioning hospitals, essential medicines, specialist services, rehabilitation and continued support for vulnerable children and families.
The needs are substantial, and no single organisation can meet them alone. Partnerships between humanitarian organisations, local healthcare professionals, donors and volunteers remain essential to improving access to care.
For GMFA, the mission to eastern Syria was driven by a simple principle; access to healthcare should not depend on where a person lives, their religious and ethnic background, their financial circumstances or whether they have been caught in a conflict.
The hundreds of patients treated during the week represent individual stories of illness, resilience, suffering and hope. Each consultation, operation and dental procedure was an opportunity to relieve suffering and restore dignity.
The mission also left the volunteers with a deeper appreciation of the challenges faced by communities rebuilding their lives after years of conflict. The physical wounds of war are often visible, but the less visible consequences of untreated chronic illness, childhood malnutrition, disability and the loss of access to routine healthcare can be equally devastating.
Amidst the ruins and destruction, the flowers continue to bloom and green leaves still grow. A gentle reminder that even on the darkest of days, life persists, resilience endures and hope exists.
As the team returned home to Australia, the experience served as a powerful reminder that humanitarian responsibility does not end when a mission concludes.
GMFA extends its heartfelt gratitude to all 17 volunteers, the Syrian American Medical Society, the local healthcare teams and the generous donors whose support helped make the mission possible. Behind every patient is a human story and behind every act of compassion lies the possibility of a better future.
GMFA is an Australian not-for-profit humanitarian organisation committed to providing medical, surgical and humanitarian assistance to underserved communities in Australia and internationally. Over the past 14 years, our volunteers have travelled to Ethiopia, India, Philippines, Nepal, Bangladesh, Jordan, Gaza, Uganda and most recently, Syria.
To learn more about Dr Siraj Sira and GMF Australia's work, visit here.