The development comes 11 months after the country’s devastating civil war ended with the overthrow of the Assad regime by opposition forces loyal to new president Ahmad Al-Sharaa.
Today, as Syrians are returning home in increasing numbersThe shattered country faces chronic shortages of investment, medicine, energy and equipment.
According to the WHOonly 58 percent of hospitals and 23 percent of primary health care centers are currently fully operational.
“Services on the ground remain very fragile… health needs continue to increase,” warned the representative of the UN agency in Syria, Dr. Christina Bethke.
He said that since mid-year, more than 400 health facilities have been affected by funding cuts and 366 have suspended or reduced their services.
According to the WHO, a total of 7.4 million people have seen their access to medicines and treatments reduced.
In just two months, this has prevented 122,000 trauma consultations from being carried out and has meant that 13,700 births have occurred without a qualified attendant.
“We continue to see a shortage of health workers and the conditions to allow the return of those qualified health professionals are not necessarily in place yet,” Dr. Bethke told reporters in Geneva via video from Damascus.
More than a million return home
The latest UN data indicates that more than 1.16 million Syrians have returned to their country since the fall of the Assad regime.
The lack of available healthcare is a key factor in deterring more people from returning home, in addition to the widespread destruction of housing and infrastructure, insufficient jobs and the current volatile security situation.
According to the UN refugee agency, UNHCRMore than seven million Syrians remain displaced within their country and more than 4.5 million still live abroad.
“Most people would prefer to return to their families, so if you are thinking about returning to your beloved Syria, you will want to know that there is a school there, that there is a shelter there, that you have electricity and connectivity, that you have water,” explained Dr. Bethke of the WHO.
Imminent flash points
In northeastern Syria, the Hassakeh National Hospital could see donor support dry up next month.
It is the only comprehensive public hospital for more than 300,000 people. If funding fails, key services likely to be affected include the ambulance and referral system, along with 24-hour primary care in several camps.
“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 stop operations, with only dialysis and physiotherapy continuing, affecting more than 700,000 people,” Dr Bethke added.
To maintain health care in Syria, the UN and its health partners need $565.5 million.
Only about 20 percent of this has been received. Of the $141.5 million that WHO needs this year for its work and that of its partners, as of last month, $77 million remains unfunded.
“Without predictable, multi-year support, the health system could collapse just as recovery is within reach,” Dr. Bethke insisted.
