9 June 2024, Cairo/Damascus -- The World Health Organization (WHO) is deeply concerned about the health situation in Al Hol Camp in Al-Hasakeh, Northeast Syria. Today marks one month since WHO’s field staff were denied access to the camp by the Camp Administration. This reportedly follows WHO’s decision to suspend hospital referrals for displaced people in the camp due to funding shortages.

Despite using all available channels of communication Camp Administration and relevant authorities, including persistent advocacy efforts through the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), donors and Member States. However, the Organization’s access has not been restored.

The resulting situation directly endangers the lives and well-being of the vulnerable camp population and potentially exposes them to severe public health risks, including disease outbreaks which may increase during warmer months.

WHO reiterates its commitment to vulnerable populations. The Organization is maintaining its efforts to mobilize resources and restore critical services to the camp, including working with donors who are actively seeking to close the funding gap.

WHO’s humanitarian health activities in Al Hol camp extend beyond hospital referrals. Its services include health sector coordination, routine immunization, risk communication and community engagement (RCCE), water quality monitoring, disease surveillance and early warning, delivery of medical supplies, technical health expertise, and capacity building for health workers.

WHO urgently calls on its partners and the international community to support and advocate with relevant stakeholders in Northeast Syria to immediately restore WHO’s access to Al Hol camp. Unconditional access is essential for WHO to deliver on its public health mandate and mitigate the significant health risks in this already vulnerable setting.

Om Yousef attends a quit smoking session at the WHO-supported tobacco cessation clinic, Zoher Hubi primary health care centre. Photo credit: WHO/WHO Syria9 June 2024, Damascus, Syria – Forty-year-old Om Yousef is originally from Daraa governorate in southern Syria. She and her husband and 2 children fled to the governorate of Rural Damascus from her hometown in 2013, because of the escalating conflict.

“We lost everything – our home; my husband’s barber shop, the only source of income for our family. I felt even my dreams had faded. It was a mix of feelings that can’t be expressed,” says Om Yousef. “To escape, we started smoking. We did not know that it was a trap. We were stuck in a neverending circle, going from nonsmokers to smoking 20 cigarettes a day.”

Tragically, Om Yousef’s husband had a heart attack in 2023 and died aged 45 years. The doctors confirmed that his heart attack was caused by heavy smoking. This was a wake-up call for Om Yousef.

“My children need me,” she says. “My 7-year-old son Yousef does not believe that his father has passed away. He still tells people that his father will come back one day.”

During Om Yousef’s visit to the Zoher Hubi primary health care centre with her son for his regular vaccination, an awareness session on how to quit smoking was going on. Through this, she learned that the centre has its own tobacco cessation clinic. She enrolled in its programme and attended weekly sessions in person. Now, after 8 months, she has quit smoking.

Dr Fathia Mohammad, head of the tobacco cessation clinic, said: “With WHO support, we started the clinic in 2021. We have biweekly awareness sessions about the harms of smoking and offer free tobacco cessation services to all beneficiaries.”

“It was not an easy decision to take, but I did it. It is a life change. I feel healthier, I am alive again,” shared Om Yousef, speaking about her decision to quit smoking.

WHO, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, has made notable progress in tobacco control. During the past 4 years WHO has helped set up 39 tobacco cessation clinics across 11 Syrian governorates: Damascus (6 clinics), Aleppo (5), Latakia (5), Rural Damascus (5), Tartous (5), Hama (3), Daraa (2), Deir ez-Zor (2), Homs (2), Quneitra (2) and Sweida (2). These clinics provided consultations to about 5000 people in 2023.

In 2023, WHO’s Tobacco Control Programme also trained 50 health professionals in total – from one public hospital in Damascus and another in Rural Damascus – on tobacco cessation programmes.

In line with the World No Tobacco Day 2024 theme, “Youth Step In and Speak Out”, the Ministry of Health has also launched smoke-free initiatives targeting schools, universities and households. WHO is providing support and educational materials to raise awareness among these communities about the adverse effects of smoking.

21 May 2024 – On the side of the Brussels VIII conference and amidst the backdrop of ongoing crises, join us for a pivotal event addressing the pressing health needs in the Syrian Arab Republic.

Despite relentless efforts, Syria’s health system remains strained, grappling with the aftermath of prolonged conflict, compounded by outbreaks of measles, cholera, and the devastating impact of the February 2023 earthquake. With over 14.9 million people requiring urgent humanitarian health assistance in 2024, the situation demands immediate attention.

However, amidst these escalating needs, funding for humanitarian health services has seen a concerning decline. Without continued support, essential services for emergency and trauma care, mental health, non-communicable diseases, and reproductive health for more than 6 million people, including 1.5 million in north-west Syria, hang in jeopardy.

Imagine over 500,000 pregnant women left without access to ante-natal care and safe deliveries, or 8,000 patients with kidney failure unable to access life-saving treatment. This is the stark reality faced by Syrians every day. Patients and healthcare workers confront major shortages and disruptions in essential medicines, supplies, and equipment, particularly for chronic diseases, trauma, and mental health conditions, amplifying the challenges of an already strained healthcare system.

Our event brings together esteemed panelists to delve into these complex health challenges plaguing Syria amidst increasing hardships and deprivation. We'll identify the most vulnerable populations affected by this multitude of threats and outline the measures and support required to ensure they are not left behind.

Register here: https://who.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uuqP_NTsSXmxHLqnCIGShQ#/registration

WHO staff facilitate training on burn care management in Atmeh, Idlib, north-west Syria. Photo credit: WHO Field Presence Office in Gaziantep, Türkiye 1 May 2024 – In north-west Syria, 2 million people (41% of the population) are living in about 1500 camps or self-settled sites. Housed in temporary shelters such as tents; they face an increased risk of burn injuries.

Burn injuries in north-west Syria are directly linked to poor and overcrowded living conditions, as well as the use of unsafe cooking and heating fuel. The risk of burns is even more significant in tents, which are highly flammable. A single domestic fire incident often causes multiple casualties, with the whole family suffering burns, especially children.

Yet the capacity to manage burn injuries remains critically low in north-west Syria.

The Atmeh burn care unit is the only referral burn centre in north-west Syria. In 2023, this centre provided care for 37 000 people and performed 2044 surgical procedures. More than 40% of these surgeries were for children aged under 5 years. These figures highlight not only the high number of burn injuries but also the growing need for specialized burn services in north-west Syria.

Managing burn injuries is medically complex and requires multiple medical interventions to ensure adequate treatment and care. It is futile to address just a single aspect of burn care in isolation without considering the full medical care package required.

In March 2024, WHO supported a one-day basic training and a 4-day advanced training in burn care in Atmeh, north-west Syria. In total, 54 interdisciplinary health care staff were enrolled in the trainings to enhance their knowledge and technical skills in specialized burn care. The training was developed and delivered by the WHO Field Presence Office in Gaziantep, Türkiye, with funding support from Norway.

“The training focused on all health staff involved in the management of burn patients. This allows for high-quality and holistic medical care. This will, in turn, help to reduce complications from burn injuries and improve the health outcomes of patients. Such an approach goes beyond the transfer of knowledge and addresses staff skills, attitudes and behaviour and the necessity of implementing best practices within the resource constraints,” explained Mr Raphael Veicht, Emergency Preparedness and Response focal point at the WHO Field Presence Office in Gaziantep.

“Considering the ever-increasing caseload of burn patients, especially with complicated burn wounds, this training was very important not only for me as a surgeon but for our entire hospital team. Such trainings are rare in north-west Syria, and we are really grateful for this opportunity,” said Dr Hassan, who took part in the advanced training.

The 4-day course included several practical exercises, plus theoretical knowledge on a broad range of topics such as nursing care, surgical management, nutrition, pain management, rehabilitation, and psychosocial support. Both trainings placed a continuous emphasis on the importance of the interdisciplinary management of burn patients.

“This training was special because the training took place within our hospital premises, providing hands-on training. Therefore, our entire hospital team could participate in the training,” added Ms Fathima, a nurse who joined in the training.