![Nine-day-old Mohammad was born at the Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) maternity unit in Domiz Refugee Camp, northern Iraq. His parents left Syria when the incessant bombing became too much.
“I have three daughters and one son,” Mohammad’s mother Seva says. “Mohammad was born here at the maternity centre, as well as one of my daughters. The maternity unit [in Domiz camp] is much better than the other places where I gave birth.”
“The staff were really good [when I gave birth to Mohammad]. I feel relaxed when I know there are people from my community providing the services. It feels better than going outside.”
MSF launched the sexual reproductive health and maternity project in Domiz Refugee Camp in 2013. We initially provided check-ups for women before and after birth and family planning services. In 2014, the project was expanded to a full maternity unit with a 24-hour delivery room, triage and gynaecological consultations. Over the past four years, MSF medical staff have delivered more than 3,400 babies and provided more than 27,400 gynaecological consultations.
MSF completed the project in Domiz Refugee Camp in November 2017 and has handed over the maternity unit to the Dohuk Directorate of Health. We currently have projects across Iraq in the governorates of Erbil, Diyala, Ninawa, Kirkuk, Salaheddin, Anbar and Baghdad and will continue to set up new projects where the needs are greatest.](https://img.msf.org/AssetLink/331u5q12nl6y86r2qnxro3n2y705mexn.jpg "Mohammad, nine days old, with his mother Seva")
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
Independent medical humanitarian assistance
We provide medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare. Our teams are made up of tens of thousands of health professionals, logistic and administrative staff - most of them hired locally. Our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of independence and impartiality. We are a non-profit, self-governed, member-based organisation.
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