A convoy of trucks carrying WHO medical supplies funded by KSrelief makes its way through Idlib governorate, northwest Syria. Photo: WHO19 June 2025, Sarmada, Idlib, Syrian Arab Republic – A shipment of medical supplies funded by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) arrived in Idlib today via the cross-border operation from Türkiye. The delivery will support health facilities serving some of the most vulnerable communities in northwest Syria. 

A truck carrying KSrelief-funded medical supplies crosses the Bab Al-Hawa border point from Türkiye into northwest Syria, ensuring continued delivery of humanitarian health support. Photo: WHOThe supplies – delivered by the World Health Organization (WHO) – include over 70 types of essential medical items ranging from surgical tools and IV catheters to maternal health supplies and chronic disease medications. Delivered in 3 trucks and weighing nearly 20 tonnes, the shipment will enable approximately 450,000 treatment courses, helping sustain care for an estimated 150,000 people.

“Nearly 80% of people in this region rely on humanitarian health assistance, and every shipment like this helps us keep facilities open and health workers equipped,” said WHO Emergency Lead for the Gaziantep field office, Rosa Crestani. “We are deeply grateful to KSrelief for this timely support. These supplies will go directly to hospitals and clinics across Idlib and Aleppo that are working tirelessly to serve their communities.” 

The delivery is part of the wider WHO–KSrelief partnership. In October 2024, KSrelief pledged USD 4.75 million to WHO to support lifesaving health services in northwest Syria. The funding enables WHO and partners to sustain over 50 health facilities, including primary health centres, hospitals, and specialized facilities such as dialysis and tuberculosis centres.

Boxes of WHO-procured medical supplies funded by KSrelief are prepared for dispatch at the Sarmada warehouse in northwest Syria. Photo: WHOIn addition to providing medical supplies, the support covers salaries for medical and non-medical staff, operational costs, and disease surveillance efforts to detect and contain outbreaks. 

“This project highlights KSrelief’s ongoing efforts to enhance health and environmental conditions in underserved communities, ensuring a positive and lasting impact for those in need,” said Dr. Abdullah Saleh Al-Moallem, Director of KSrelief's Health and Environmental Aid Department. 

The supplies will be distributed to around 45 health facilities across northwest Syria based on identified needs – helping frontline teams deliver care where it is most needed. 

For media inquiries, please contact: 

For WHO: Mrinalini Santhanam, Communications Officer | This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
For KSrelief: Fanar Alshehri, International Communication Specialist | This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

About KSrelief

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) is Saudi Arabia's leading humanitarian organization, dedicated to providing aid and relief to communities affected by crises worldwide. Since its establishment in 2015, KSrelief has implemented more than 3.400 projects across various sectors, including health, education, and food security, in more than 100 countries

Acting WHO Representative in Syria Christina Bethke during the inauguration of the newly rehabilitated primary health centre in Ma’arrat An Nu’man, south Idlib. Photo: WHO16 June 2025, Ma’arrat An Nu’man, Syrian Arab Republic – A newly rehabilitated public health centre in Ma’arrat An Nu’man, south of Idlib, was officially inaugurated today, restoring essential health services in an area which is seeing an increasing number of returns after years of conflict. 

The facility, rehabilitated with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, began operations on 25 May and provided more than 1800 consultations in its first week. Services include outpatient care, reproductive and pediatric health, emergency treatment, mental health support and immunization. 

“This centre is an important step in restoring health services in areas where people are beginning to return,” said Acting WHO Representative in Syria Christina Bethke. “With support from Gavi, we are working to ensure essential care is available to communities rebuilding their lives.” 

Once a major urban centre, Ma’arrat An Nu’man sustained widespread damage during the conflict. As of mid-2025, 90% of the city’s infrastructure is in ruins, and medical supplies and trained staff are in short supply. 

The main referral hospital, which served more than 200 000 people, remains out of service. With the nearest functioning hospitals over 45 km away in Idlib or Hama, returning families faced serious barriers to care. 

The rehabilitated public health centre ensures continuity of care while secondary services are being restored. WHO is also rehabilitating health facilities in other high-need areas, particularly where returns are increasing. Restoring infrastructure, staffing and public trust are central to recovery.

Health workers administer routine childhood immunizations at the newly reopened Ma’arrat An Nu’man public health centre, rehabilitated with support from Gavi to strengthen essential Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) services. Photo: WHO“We welcome the Minister of Health’s commitment at the World Health Assembly to rebuild Syria’s health system through a phased, needs-based approach, focused on infrastructure, services and workforce investment,” added Bethke. “This centre reflects that vision. Through collaboration with Gavi and other partners, WHO is proud to support national efforts to expand access to health care and bring services closer to communities recovering after years of crisis.” 

The rehabilitation was carried out by WHO in collaboration with Gavi as part of joint efforts to strengthen Syria’s primary health care system and expand immunization services. Since 2023, the partnership has rehabilitated 12 centres across the country, with 3 more under renovation and 6 additional facilities planned by the end of 2025. WHO’s Damascus office led the rehabilitation work while its cross-border team in Gaziantep, Türkiye, is supporting operational costs to ensure continuity of care. 

Media contacts:
  
 In Damascus, Syria: Halah Kabash, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it In Gaziantep, Türkiye: Mrinalini Santhanam, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

A health worker at Al-Birr Association health centre in Hama engages a young child in early stimulation activities as part of integrated mental health and psychosocial support services. Photo: WHO

31 May 2025, Syrian Arab Republic – At 69, Kamal Qassis has learned to adapt. A former schoolteacher, he has lived through years of conflict, repeated displacement, and the mounting cost of daily survival in Syria. “I’ve lost a lot but I’m still here,” he says quietly, seated at the Al-Birr Association health centre in Hama.

Once unable to afford the medication he needed for high blood pressure and a weak heart, Kamal now receives regular checkups and treatment through the centre – support he says has helped him regain a sense of control over his health. “The doctors know me. They take care of me, and I feel stronger now.”

Like Kamal, thousands across Syria are navigating a fragile health system strained by 14 years of crisis and instability. Public health facilities remain overstretched and underfunded, with over half of them either non-functional or only partially functional. The economic uncertainties and funding cuts have only deepened these challenges, threatening the continuity of care for millions.

Yet amidst these pressures, primary health care centres like Al-Birr – supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) with funding from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) – continue to deliver vital services to those who need them most.

Kamal Qassis, 69, speaks with health workers during a follow-up visit at the Al-Birr Association health centre in Hama. Photo: WHO

Om Bakri, 65, brings her husband to Al-Birr for his heart medication and treatment. “We’ve been coming here for years,” she says. After losing her son and daughter-in-law in the conflict, she now raises her grandchildren alone. “This clinic makes it possible for me to take care of my family.”

So far in 2025, with support from ECHO, WHO helped the Al-Birr Association reach more than 48,000 people with health services – including outpatient consultations, mental health care, nutrition support, and 92 surgical procedures ranging from general to neurological.

“These services are often the only option people have,” says a doctor at the centre. “Without them, many would simply go without care.”

As Syria enters a pivotal phase of transition after years of conflict, the Ministry of Health has outlined key priorities to strengthen essential services, support health workers, and rehabilitate damaged infrastructure. WHO is working closely with the Ministry and health partners to help advance these efforts, ensuring continued access to care while supporting longer-term recovery of the health system.

Om Bakri, 65, has her blood pressure checked at the Al-Birr Association health centre in Hama, where she brings her husband for regular treatment. Photo: WHO

With support from donors like ECHO, centres like Al-Birr continue to play an important role — meeting urgent health needs today, while contributing to the foundation for a stronger and more inclusive system tomorrow.

The entrance of Al-Ashara Primary Health Centre in rural Deir ez-Zor, where emergency services have been supported. Photo: WHO

30 May 2025, Syrian Arab Republic – In rural areas of Deir ez-Zor, access to timely medical care has long been a challenge. For families living in rural towns like Mahkan and Al-Ashara, reaching the nearest hospital can take hours – a delay that can turn minor injuries into life-threatening emergencies.

But with WHO’s support, that gap has begun to close.

Expanding emergency health services in Mahkan and Al-Ashara

In coordination with the Deir ez-Zor Directorate of Health and local implementing partner Syria Pulse Association, WHO supported the activation of 2 fully equipped emergency units at Mahkan and Al-Ashara primary health centres.

Each centre operated with a trained team – including a doctor, nurse, paramedic, driver and support staff – and was equipped with an ambulance, essential medicines and emergency supplies. The centres were also linked to referral hospitals in Deir ez-Zor City and Al-Ashara City, ensuring that patients in need of advanced care could be transported safely and quickly.

Dr. Hadi Abdul Rahman Al-Sheikh examines 9-month-old Bayan Al-Darfil at Mahkan Public Health Centre in Deir ez-Zor. Photo: WHO

Stabilizing a critically ill infant in Mahkan

When 9-month-old Bayan Al-Darfil was brought to Mahkan Primary Health Centre by her father, she was in critical condition. Bayan had been vomiting for hours and was found to have food poisoning and a rapid heart rate of 180 beats per minute.

The emergency team administered IV fluids and medication and then transported her using the project-supported ambulance to Al-Ashara National Hospital where she received further care until her condition stabilized.

Bayan’s father later said, “Thank you for the care you gave my daughter. We appreciate the medical team and the quality of services at the centre.”

Treating burn injuries and building caregiver confidence

At Al-Ashara Primary Health Centre, 3-year-old Bisan Sabouh Al-Saleh arrived with second-degree burns on her left leg after a household accident involving boiling water.

She was treated immediately. “Cleaning, dressing, pain relief and daily follow-up were provided by the emergency team,” her file notes. “Her mother was educated on how to continue care at home. The child is still under supervision and improving steadily.”

Responding to conflict-related trauma with urgent care

At Al-Ashara Public Health Centre, a 20-year-old man arrived at midnight with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. After a clinical examination, the emergency physician determined that the injury was isolated – with no vascular, neurological, or bone damage.

“The entry and exit points of the bullet were cleaned and sterilized. The wound was sutured and the patient was given antibiotics,” said Dr. Ahmed Al-Marzouk, the attending physician. “The patient’s condition improved and stabilized after treatment and he was discharged in good condition.”

Extending access through telemedicine and health education

To improve access to care in remote and underserved communities, Syria Pulse Association also operated a telemedicine and remote health education service from a static point in Deir ez-Zor city’s Al Kousour neighbourhood.

A team of general practitioners and rotating specialists, including internal medicine doctors and gynaecologists, work in 2 daily shifts, providing telemedicine consultations from 9:00 to 21:00, and 6 trained health educators deliver remote risk communication and community engagement messages, sharing vital information on primary health care, disease prevention and how to seek care.

These services helped reach families who could not afford transportation or lived too far from functioning health centres, ensuring they still received timely medical advice and follow-up support.

Saving lives and reducing pressure on families

In addition to on-site emergency care, families also benefitted from safe referrals, home-care guidance and access to remote services.

This emergency health response was made possible thanks to the Syria Humanitarian Fund (SHF) – a multi-donor funding mechanism managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

For the people of Deir ez-Zor, access to emergency care is no longer out of reach. Whether it’s a burn, a bullet wound, or a sick child – these services have helped communities respond faster, recover sooner and reduce the burden on families.