Half a Year of Healing: Swisscross' Impact Across Afghanistan and Iraq in 2025
Swisscross microsurgery specialist, Dr Natasha Forster working closely with colleagues in Kabul, Afghanistan. April 2025.
In the first six months of 2025, Swisscross has continued to expand its reach and deepen its impact across conflict-affected regions, providing vital surgical care to vulnerable populations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Through three intensive humanitarian missions, our teams have brought surgical care, dignity, and renewed hope patients who would otherwise remain without access to critical medical intervention.
April Mission: Life-Saving Care in Afghanistan
In April, our mission team arrived in Afghanistan with a clear goal: to respond to the growing need for advanced cardiac and surgical care in one of the world’s most underserved healthcare environments. Over the course of the mission:
500 patients were screened for urgent surgical and medical needs
120 patients received treatment
30 open-heart surgeries were successfully performed
These interventions were not only life-saving — they were life-transforming, giving patients a second chance at health and survival in a region where access to cardiac surgery is out of reach for patients unable to afford it.
Ahmad returned to Swisscross for another surgery to remove the skin expander in his scalp, which will allow the creation of extra skin for further reconstructive surgery on his scalp, which suffered extensible burn trauma after the missile attack. June 2025, Erbil.
May Mission: Advancing Reconstructive Surgery in Erbil
In May, Swisscross returned to its established centre – The Centre of Excellence for Complex Care in Erbil, Iraq, where a team of over 10 medical professionals carried out a focused mission dedicated to reconstructive surgery for victims of trauma, burns, and congenital conditions. The main focus area during mission was maxillofacial, cleft palette and plastic surgery, include burn trauma.
Over 7 days:
85 patients were screened
28 surgeries were completed, included 10 cleft palate surgeries led by Swiss maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Johannes Kuttenberger, who has been volunteering his expertise to performing life-changing surgeries for children with cleft lip and palate deformities with Swisscross for the last two years.
June Mission: Sustaining Impact in Northern Iraq
Building on the momentum of May’s success, the team returned to Erbil in June with a smaller but no less committed group of seven staff members – local and global. In another intensive 7-day period:
81 patients were screened
25 surgeries were carried out including on 6 year-old Ahmad Mustafa Burki, who has undergone multiple surgeries at the Swisscross Centre since 2021 for horrific injuries received after a missile attack on his home in Syria.
This continuity of care is especially critical for patients who require multiple interventions over time — including children recovering from burn injuries, war-related trauma, and congenital deformities.
A team effort at the Centre of Excellence for Complex Care, Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq. May 2025
A Growing Mission of Healing
Swisscross’s work in the first half of 2025 demonstrates what can be achieved with a focused, experienced team and a commitment to delivering care where it's needed most. From open-heart surgeries in Kabul to complex reconstructions in Erbil, each mission is a testament to the resilience of our patients and the dedication of our teams.
But the need remains vast. Conflict, poverty, and displacement continue to rob many of access to even basic surgical care.
Join Us
Swisscross is committed to providing life-changing surgical care to those who need it most — but we can't do it alone. Your support helps us send teams, equip operating theatres, and reach patients who are waiting for their chance at living fuller lives.
