In July 2017 Mosul, the largest city in northern Iraq, was liberated from occupation by the so-called Islamic State (IS). The occupation of parts of Syria and Iraq (2014 to 2017) by the IS and the consequences of the liberation are regarded as one of the greatest humanitarian crises of modern times and almost led to the collapse of local infrastructure and health care. In Mossul, too, the consequences are devastating. Only parts of the hospital "Mosul General Hospital" are left, most of the equipment burned. Yet the Mosul General Hospital continues its work while facing the challenges of a destroyed city and a traumatized population.

Last week in Dohuk, Bernd Ruf and his team introduced the physicians to emergency and trauma pedagogy in a first seminar (in cooperation with Aktion Deutschalnd Hilft). We are glad to be able to contribute such a part to this important work and to the reconstruction.