WHO supplies being delivered to Aleppo in 2017 29 November 2018 – At around midnight on 24 November 2018, WHO received unconfirmed reports of patients arriving in health facilities in Aleppo with symptoms that might be consistent with exposure to chemical agents. At approximately the same time, the United Nations Department of Safety and Security office in Syria reported unconfirmed information that the Al-Zahraa, Al-Khaldiyyeh and Nile Street areas of Aleppo city had been shelled with rounds of mortar fire that included an unknown type of gas. According to unconfirmed reports, dozens of patients were being admitted to Aleppo’s two public hospitals.

1 November 2018 – Fifty-five year old Um Mohammad from Ar-Raqqa governorate in the Syrian Arab Republic was diagnosed with breast cancer 2 years ago. There are no public hospitals in the governorate that can provide the treatment she needs, so she has to travel every 2 weeks to a national hospital in the neighbouring governorate of Hama for chemotherapy. The journey takes 8 hours each way.

A tearful Um Mohammad said that the constant travel, on top of her illness, has left her exhausted. “I have been travelling to Hama for almost 2 years now; I am on the verge of physical and financial collapse. ”Each trip costs Um Mohammad 20 000 Syrian pounds (the equivalent of US$ 43); a small fortune considering that two thirds of the population is living on less than US$2 a day. “I am trying to get by and borrowing money from friends and neighbours, but they are all suffering too and have no money to spare.”

24 October, 2018 – A generous donation from the Government of Japan has allowed WHO to launch a one-year project to rehabilitate selected health care facilities in Syria. Currently, more than half the country’s hospitals and health care centres are closed or only partially functioning. This latest contribution from Japan will help improve access to health care services for Syrians in critical geographic locations, especially those with high numbers of internally displaced people.

In addition to supporting the restoration of health care facilities, WHO will use the funds to deliver medicines and supplies, train health care workers and support key health partners such as the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC).

Mr Khaled Hboubati, SARC President, said, “We profoundly thank the Japanese Government and the World Health Organization for this donation. It will contribute to enhancing SARC health care services throughout Syria.” Mr Hboubati went on to say that the funds would cover several critical health areas. “We will dedicate this donation to enhancing our network of fixed and mobile health facilities, developing our prosthetics capacities and physiotherapy services, and training health care workers.”