Tuesday, 4 November 2025 - I’m speaking to you from Damascus at a moment of fragile hope and rising risk. As Syria moves from emergency to recovery, a transition gap has opened where humanitarian funding declines before national systems can take over.
That gap is measured in missed care, not percentages.
Since mid-year, 417 health facilities have been hit by funding cuts, with 366 suspending or reducing services. 7.4 million people have already seen access to medicines and treatment shrink. In just two months this meant:
210,000 referrals that could not take place
122,000 trauma consultations that did not happen
13,700 births without a skilled attendant
89,000 mental health consultations that people could not reach.
Only 58% of hospitals and 23% of primary health-care centres are fully functional. Chronic shortages of medicines, power and equipment keep services fragile.
Despite the high level of government ownership and a prioritized 2-year national strategic plan for health, needs are rising. Drought, unsafe water and poor sanitation are fueling outbreaks of cholera, leishmaniasis, lice and scabies, while power shortages compromise cold-chains, water pumping and hospital operations. Nearly 3 million returnees are coming back to areas where medicines, staff and infrastructure are limited – adding pressure to already thin services.
There are immediate flashpoints. In the northeast, Hassakeh National Hospital – the only comprehensive public hospital for more than 300,000 people – faces the end of donor support in December. Risks to the ambulance and referral system, and to round-the-clock primary care in several camps, are also imminent.
We also received reports from partners this week that support to al-Kasrah General Hospital in Deir-ez-Zor has been suspended, forcing most departments to halt operations, with only dialysis and physiotherapy continuing – affecting over 700,000 people living in and around.
The funding picture is stark. The Health Cluster requirement is about US$565.5 million, with roughly 20% received. WHO’s appeal for 2025 is US$141.5 million, with a US$77 million gap as of October. Without predictable, multi-year support, the health system could unravel just as recovery is within reach.
Our message is simple – bridge the transition gap, sustain essential services now so recovery financing can take hold, and prioritize services in areas of return so families who go home find a functioning clinic, not a locked door. Keeping health services alive today is the bridge to Syria’s recovery and stability tomorrow.
