27 December 2024, Istanbul, Türkiye – Fifty tonnes of lifesaving medical supplies have arrived in Türkiye via the European Union (EU) Humanitarian Air Bridge, ready for delivery to health facilities in Syria. The shipment, coordinated by WHO, will provide much-needed support to Primary health care centers and hospitals in areas where the healthcare needs are the most pressing.

“This delivery will provide millions of Syrians facing extraordinary hardship, with much needed life-saving medical supplies” said WHO Emergency Lead for the Gaziantep field office Rosa Crestani.

“These supplies could not have come at a more critical time, as health workers struggle to provide care in overstretched facilities. We are deeply grateful to the EU for its unwavering support, which has made this consignment possible. This delivery will help save lives and strengthen services in areas where health care systems are overstretched. WHO will continue to deliver vital support wherever it is needed most.”

The shipment, which will benefit thousands of Syrians, includes trauma emergency surgery kits (TESKs) and essential medicines. TESKs are specially designed kits for trauma care in emergencies containing surgical tools, anaesthetic supplies, IV fluids and sterilization materials. The consignment also contains essential medicines to treat common conditions and prevent disease outbreaks, ensuring hospitals and clinics can respond to both urgent and routine needs.

The cargo, which will enable more than 8000 emergency surgical procedures, includes 30 000 pouches for infusions, providing vital resources to support critical care in health facilities.

The delivery, is made possible through funding from EU humanitarian aid, reflects the EU’s and WHO’s continued commitment to supporting Syria’s health care system recover and rebuild.

Even before recent developments, 141 health facilities in Idlib and northern Aleppo faced the risk of closure by the end of the year due to funding shortfalls, with potentially devastating consequences. This consignment will help bridge critical gaps, ensure medical supplies reach those in urgent need and enable health workers to continue to provide essential care.

Since 27 November, WHO has delivered 510 trauma supply units to 37 health facilities, enabling over 94 900 treatment courses, including over 8800 trauma procedures, around 80 100 courses of essential medicines, and over 5900 mental health treatments, reaching more than 33 000 people.

WHO’s operational and logistic base in Gaziantep plays a critical role in ensuring these supplies are delivered to facilities in Syria, supporting health workers who often operate under challenging conditions.

About the EU Humanitarian Air Bridge:

EU Humanitarian Air Bridge flight operations reinforce humanitarian and emergency responses in countries facing fragile contexts. The flights help fill critical gaps by facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid, emergency assistance and the transport of humanitarian staff when required. It is an ad hoc initiative operated on a needs-based approach. Learn more here.

Media contacts:

In Damascus, Syria: Halah Kabash, هذا البريد محمى من المتطفلين. تحتاج إلى تشغيل الجافا سكريبت لمشاهدته.

In Gaziantep, Türkiye: Mrinalini Santhanam, هذا البريد محمى من المتطفلين. تحتاج إلى تشغيل الجافا سكريبت لمشاهدته.

24 December 2024, Damascus, Syria/Gaziantep, Türkiye – As Syria stands at a crossroads following the recent transfer of authority, the World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a US$ 56.4 million flash appeal to address the urgent health needs of Syrians affected by years of conflict.

A nurse cares for a 5-day-old baby at Shams Children's Hospital in Idlib amid hostilities since November 27. WHO is supporting the hospital to keep its services running. Photo credit: WHO

The WHO appeal seeks to address the humanitarian crisis while laying the groundwork for recovery. Over the next six months, WHO together with its partners will continue to focus on trauma care, continuity of essential services, disease outbreak prevention, patient referrals and strengthening health system coordination.

Since November 2024, intensified hostilities have displaced over 882,000 people, further disrupted access to healthcare and placed immense pressure on Syria's already fragile health system. Attacks on health facilities have surged, with 37 WHO-confirmed incidents reported in the last month alone. These attacks have severely damaged infrastructure, rendered ambulances non-operational and hindered access to life-saving care.

“The health infrastructure in Syria is severely strained, more than ever, with over half the country’s hospitals non-functional. Even before the recent events, 141 health facilities in northern Aleppo and Idlib were at risk of closure due to funding shortages. Without urgent support, these facilities could shut down in the coming weeks, with devastating consequences,” said Christina Bethke, WHO Representative a.i. for Syria. “Our teams are currently providing care through mobile clinics, restoring immunization services and integrating mental health support into health facilities, especially for those affected by trauma. This appeal is about safeguarding health and dignity while offering Syrians hope for a safer future.”

Up to now, WHO’s response has included expanding trauma response in functional hospitals, ensuring healthcare access in high-displacement zones, restoring operations in priority facilities, and working with health authorities to strengthen the health system in several ways.

WHO’s proposed strategy for the next six months includes:

Strengthening life-saving trauma care: Providing emergency supplies, deploying additional ambulances and ensuring hospitals remain operational.

Ensuring continuity of essential health services: Addressing maternal and child health needs, restoring immunization services and deploying mobile clinics to people who would otherwise be unable to access the health system.

Bolstering disease surveillance and outbreak control: Enhancing early warning systems and deploying rapid response teams to contain outbreaks.

Coordinating emergency patient referrals: Facilitating timely and efficient referrals of patients to appropriate healthcare facilities, ensuring access to critical treatment and specialized care.

Enhancing health system coordination: Strengthening partnership across the health sector to ensure a unified and effective health response across Syria.

“WHO will continue to leverage its presence in Gaziantep, Türkiye, to deliver life-saving medical supplies and services,” Rosa Crestani, WHO Emergency Lead for the WHO Gaziantep field office. “This hub coordinates assistance delivered from Türkiye to an estimated 5 million Syrian people, ensuring that essential trauma care, immunization, and maternal health services reach even the hardest-to-reach areas.”

Access the WHO flash appeal for Syria here.

Media contacts:

In Damascus, Syria: Halah Kabash, هذا البريد محمى من المتطفلين. تحتاج إلى تشغيل الجافا سكريبت لمشاهدته.

In Gaziantep, Türkiye: Mrinalini Santhanam, هذا البريد محمى من المتطفلين. تحتاج إلى تشغيل الجافا سكريبت لمشاهدته.

Good morning,

20 December 2024 - I’m speaking to you from Damascus at a moment of profound significance in Syria’s history. The resilience of the Syrian people is on full display, as is their hope for the future. Over the past 12 days or so, I’ve witnessed both the joy of reunions and returns, as well as the concerns about the uncertainty of what lies ahead.

In the midst of these challenges, WHO remains steadfast—not just in delivering life-saving aid and ensuring healthcare reaches those who need it most, but also in helping Syrians rebuild their lives and recover from years of crisis.

Just yesterday, WHO teams were in Idlib, visiting hospitals that have become lifelines during the recent escalation of conflict. They met with dedicated surgeons who have worked tirelessly, often under attack, to save lives. One surgeon shared with us the words of a patient who walked through their doors: “We finally sleep at night, no longer worrying about being bombarded.”

Our team also met Ahmed, a 64-year-old man who relies on kidney dialysis. Over the past decade, he has been displaced multiple times and has faced enormous uncertainty to access his treatment. Thanks to Bab Al-Hawa Hospital in Idlib, which is supported by WHO, Ahmed has been able to maintain his care. Yet, the funding for this essential service will run out in three months. Ahmed is deeply hopeful, not just for himself but for all Syrians, dreaming of a future where no one has to endure the uncertainty he has lived through.

It is this fragile hope that keeps them going, even as they endure tremendous hardships—sleeping in tents through the bitter cold of winter and the scorching heat of summer. In these conditions, displaced populations, especially those living in camps or informal settlements, are extremely vulnerable. Overcrowded living conditions, food insecurity, and inadequate sanitation are perfect breeding grounds for nutritional deficiencies, respiratory infections and other communicable diseases such as diarrheal disease, as well as lice and scabies, which can lead to long-term health complications.

Many people the team met in Idlib have returned to visit their homes since December 8th, only to find them reduced to rubble. These individuals, displaced multiple times or having returned from Lebanon and Turkey, need support to rebuild their lives. Rebuilding homes is just one part of the solution; they also need access to healthcare and essential services to feel secure and to lay the foundations for recovery.

And in a nation reeling from over a decade of conflict and displacement, mental health and psychosocial services are not just critical—they are lifesaving for families. Our team met Fatima whose two daughters, aged 6 and 10 years, have suffered from sleepless nights, recurring nightmares, and anxiety. Over the past three weeks, they have benefited from psychosocial support services, giving them a sense of stability and hope. But this support must continue.

The reality is, even in this historic moment, the humanitarian need remain immense and immediate.

Syria is grappling with one of the largest displacement crises in the world, with 7.4 million people internally displaced before this recent escalation. Over 880,000 have been displaced since then. Among them, 6% are individuals with disabilities who face severe barriers to accessing care.

The health infrastructure is severely strained. In just three weeks, 36 attacks on healthcare have been reported and over half of the country’s hospitals are non-functional.

WHO has launched an appeal to raise $56.4 million to meet these urgent needs over the next six months. This funding will sustain critical health services during this transitional period – including 141 health facilities in northwest Syria at risk of closure in the coming weeks – and support Syria’s long road to recovery.

WHO is doing everything possible to bridge this gap. Our teams are:

Facilitating access to healthcare for displaced populations and returnees through referrals to functional facilities and mobile clinics providing basic care, vaccinations, and maternal health services.

Integrating mental health support into healthcare facilities, particularly for those affected by trauma.

Coordinating referrals between non-functional and operational health facilities and ensuring the safe transportation of patients to specialized hospitals for critical care.

But we cannot do this alone.

The resilience of the Syrian people is inspiring, but without immediate international support, their hopes for a peaceful and healthy future are at risk.

Everyone my team and I speak to here is hopeful—hopeful for their children, for their homes, and a Syria rebuilt on peace and solidarity. We must help them realize this dream.

We call on the international community to act now—your swift action can save lives, restore hope, and help rebuild a nation yearning for stability and peace.

Thank you.

Dr Mahmoud Hariri, one of the lead trainers, guides participants through a practical session during the Hostile Environment Surgical Training. Photo: WHO28 November 2024 – For surgeons in the operating rooms of northwest Syria, where the hum of generators replaces the sterile quiet of modern hospitals, every decision is a race against time, every procedure a battle to save lives amidst conflict.

For doctors like Dr Abdullah Al-Saleh, a general surgeon at Al-Andalus Hospital in Idlib, the stakes could not be higher. “The hardest cases are the ones where every second counts,” he says. “We deal with severe abdominal and chest injuries, where even a small delay can mean losing a life. The reality is harsh. We do what we can with what we have.”

A surge in need amid escalating hostilities

After years of conflict, the health care system in northwest Syria is hanging by a thread. Hostilities, and the associated displacement and deteriorating living conditions, have led to a sharp rise in trauma cases, overwhelming already strained hospitals. The lack of resources and specialists often forces surgeons to step into roles outside their specialty. They must master multiple skills to meet the pressing demands.

Amid this mounting pressure, the Hostile Environment Surgical Training (HEST) programme is proving to be a lifeline. Developed to empower surgeons to manage complex emergencies, it combines technical expertise with real-world application.

“If you know how to hold a knife, you can do miracles”

Participants at the HEST collaborate on a practical exercise, using anatomical models to refine critical surgical techniques for conflict and emergency settings. Photo: WHOFor Dr Mahmoud Hariri, one of the lead trainers, the training is not just about technical skills – it’s a culmination of lessons learned working in conflicts.

“There’s no room for strict specialization,” he says. “One day you’re a general surgeon, the next you’re managing vascular injuries or performing thoracic surgery. If you know how to hold a knife, you can do miracles.”

The training curriculum combines advanced techniques with innovative teaching tools tailored to conflicts. Participants work on lifelike simulators, practicing procedures like suturing a heart, stabilizing severe vascular injuries and performing tracheostomies under battlefield-like conditions. This hands-on approach ensures that surgeons are prepared to act decisively, even in the chaos of mass casualty events.

“These aren’t just theoretical skills,” says Dr Hariri. “When I performed 11 emergency heart sutures in Aleppo 13 years ago, 7 patients survived – a testament to the power of preparation.”

“Empowered to act in the moments that matter most”

Participants practice wound management techniques on a medical mannequin during the Hostile Environment Surgical Training, focusing on real-life scenarios in conflict zones. Photo: WHOFor participants, the training is more than an opportunity to learn – it’s often the difference between life and death for their patients.

Take Dr Shahira Al-Hameed, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Jisr Hospital. Recently, she faced a complex case of uterine rupture and internal bleeding. “The patient’s abdomen was filled with blood, and it was nearly impossible to identify the anatomy,” she says. “The techniques I learned here helped me stabilize her. She left the hospital alive and healthy.”

Dr Shahira joined the HEST programme to prepare for emergencies that go beyond her specialty. “As a gynaecologist, I often encounter cases where I need to manage injuries to the intestines or bladder,” she says. “This training has given me the confidence to handle such situations until a specialist arrives.”

For Dr Alaa Barhoon, a general surgeon with over a decade of experience, the training introduced faster, more effective methods that fit the realities of northwest Syria. He highlights how techniques like vascular shunting – a method to restore blood flow when vessels are severely damaged – have become essential when traditional resources are unavailable.

“Time is everything,” he says. "The new methods we’re learning can save lives in ways that older approaches cannot."

Preparing for the unpredictable

HEST also emphasizes triage systems, a critical need in hospitals faced with mass casualties. “Triage planning can make or break a hospital’s response during emergencies,” says Dr Hariri. “In many hospitals here, the lack of proper triage leads to chaos. Through this training, we’re showing how even simple systems can save lives.”

Participants gain confidence through scenario-based learning. Simulations of battlefield trauma and mass casualty events help them practice the most complex procedures under harsh conditions.

The toll of working in such conditions is heavy. Dr Al-Saleh, a father of 3, says treating injured children is particularly harrowing. “It’s impossible not to imagine my own children in their place,” he says.

Dr Shahira echoes these sentiments. “The emotional strain is immense, but seeing a mother and child survive after a complicated delivery reminds me why I chose this path.”

Ready to save lives

A trainer demonstrates advanced surgical procedures to participants during a hands-on session of the training. Photo: WHOAs the training concludes, its impact is already evident in the preparedness of its participants. “This isn’t just about surgery,” says Dr Hariri. “It’s about empowering doctors to face the worst and still deliver care.”

Beyond immediate skills, HEST focuses on long-term impact. Many participants, like Dr Ahmed Ghandour, have gone on to become trainers themselves. “I learned these techniques in 2019 and have since trained my entire surgical team in them,” says Dr Ghandour. “The ripple effect is profound – every surgeon we train can save hundreds of lives.”

The HEST training, delivered by expert trainers from the David Nott Foundation, was made possible through the support of USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) and implemented by the World Health Organization (WHO).