For Syrian-American Doctors, A Painful Homecoming

The Turkish border is a key link for the revolt in neighboring Syria. Turkish ambulances are stationed at border crossings to cope with the flood of injured Syrians, often as many as 30 a day. And now, Syrian-American doctors are volunteering in a humanitarian effort to help the wounded and to bring crucial medicines for field hospitals inside Syria.

A busy office in the Turkish border town of Antakya represents something new in the Syrian revolt — a direct link between rebels fighting the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and a humanitarian network to support wounded fighters and civilians.

The Union of Syrian Medical Relief Organizations was founded by an American doctor from Texas. The office in Antakya is run by a fashion designer from Syria. His managerial skills are crucial for the work here — for the first time, compiling complete case records of Syrian patients in Turkish hospitals, with recommendations for follow-up care.