The situation in Syria

Since the start of the war in 2011, the violence against the civilian population in Syria has only become more complex and intense. Many regions are regularly bombarded and civilian populations are subjected to human rights violations and abuses, caught in the crossfire between government forces, armed opposition forces, allies of the two sides and extremist factions.

Communities are suffering due to poor access to healthcare facilities, water and food.

The humanitarian situation in Syria remains extremely precarious throughout the country and especially in the north west, in the area around Idlib, where large numbers of displaced people converge. Communities are suffering due to poor access to healthcare facilities, water and food. In addition, they are in urgent need of sanitation, shelter and other basic necessities.

Syria

The faces of exile

The transportation of humanitarian aid continues to be frustrated by problems of access, especially in areas once more under the control of the Syrian regime. Similar difficulties are now also experienced in the areas held by the opposition, where cross-border humanitarian aid has been reduced under pressure from the regime. Attacks on health workers, their vehicles and equipment and against healthcare facilities are still taking place, severely reducing access to healthcare for the most vulnerable. Since the beginning of the uprising, health workers have been subjected to a campaign of persecution, and humanitarian assistance has been criminalised in areas held by the opposition.

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Our activities in Syria

Victims of crises & conflicts

Supporting internally displaced people

Since October 2012, Médecins du Monde has been working with Syrian nurses, midwives, pharmacists and doctors to provide primary healthcare and sexual and reproductive health services to vulnerable communities throughout Syria.

In 2019, we supported the provision of primary and sexual and reproductive healthcare, including antenatal and post-natal care, family planning services and access to good quality treatment. 52,362 consultations were carried out in Aleppo, Dara’a and Damascus Governorates.

Médecins du Monde also offers emergency assistance in the form of supplies of essential medicines, to respond to the needs of the people affected by the conflict. Those particularly in need are people with chronic conditions, unvaccinated children, pregnant women without access to obstetric care and women in general who don’t have access to sexual healthcare.

The aim of our activities remains the protection of civilians in the face of new military offensives, as well as unconditional medical assistance to vulnerable communities, both in the rebel-held areas and in areas under government control. It is estimated that 12 million Syrians are in need of medical assistance. Local partners ensure the availability of essential medicines and equipment, which are extremely scarce in the warzones and the areas that have been recaptured by the regime and stripped of their health services. In addition, local health workers are supported to ensure the continuity of services in a context where the public authorities are no longer funding healthcare facilities throughout the country. We provide training to strengthen their technical medical capacities.