WHO in Syria
WHO marks 13 years of the Syrian crisis with renewed commitment and support
WHO marks 13 years of the Syrian crisis with renewed commitment and support14 March 2024, Damascus, Syria – As the Syrian conflict enters its 14th year, WHO reaffirms its unwavering support to the people of Syria. The prolonged crisis has inflicted immense suffering on the civilian population. A record 16.7 million people in Syria need...
WHO tackles gender-based violence and victim support in post-earthquake Syria
14 February 2024, Damascus, Syria – WHO has concluded the Gender-based Violence and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Victim’s Support in Earthquake-Affected Areas project, which it delivered with the Syrian Ministry of Health and the Syrian Commission for Family Affairs and Population. The project was launched in February 2023,...
One year on: WHO’s sustained support for Syria’s earthquake recovery efforts
6 February 2024, Damascus, Syria – It is one year today since a devastating series of earthquakes struck Syria and Türkiye, causing more than 1400 deaths and injuring about 2357 people in Syria alone. Hundreds of thousands more were displaced. Today, WHO reflects on its work to help the people of Syria recover from the disaster and to support the...
First responder Dr Siham Makhoul reflects on February 2023 earthquake in Syria
Dr Siham Makhoul, Director of the National Hospital of Latakia, Syria. Photo credit: WHO Syria6 February 2024 – I retain vivid memories of the earthquake. At just after 04:00, I was jolted awake by deep rumbling and roaring, and strong shaking. I live with my elderly mother, who is unwell, and my 2 sons; my first thought was to get them to...
Abd Nour’s triumph over leishmaniasis
25 January 2024 – Abd Nour, a 52-year-old father from Aleppo, has been displaced 3 times with his family owing to the ongoing conflict in Syria. Once a shopkeeper, Abd became a day labourer to support his family after they were forced to flee their home. “For us, it has been very difficult,” he said. “It was hard to make plans not knowing how I would...
Empowering displaced people in northwest Syria to regain their mental health
3 January 2024 – “After years of suffering, I am finally feeling empowered to regain control over my own destiny,” shared Hana, aged 29 years, who has suffered a series of devastating losses. A decade ago, Hana was forced to flee her home when fighting intensified close to her village in northwest Syria. She left her relatives without saying...
WHO strengthens health emergencies response in northwest Syria
Training on risk assessment and outbreak investigations. Photo credit: WHO/WHO Gaziantep Field Presence Office5 December 2023, Cairo, Egypt, and Gaziantep, Türkiye – To strengthen the response to disease outbreaks and public health emergencies in northwest Syria, WHO conducted a training on risk assessment and outbreak investigations in...
WHO and Syrian Ministry of Health joint evaluation mission finds EWARS effective and recommends updates
19 November 2023, Damascus, Syria¬ – WHO and the Syrian Ministry of Health recently completed a joint evaluation of the country’s main disease surveillance system, the Early Warning, Alert and Response System (EWARS). Throughout the crisis in Syria, EWARS has been instrumental in detecting outbreaks of measles, cholera and other diseases and...
For Syria’s earthquake victims, the suffering continues
25 October 2023 – Thirteen-year-old Ahmad was asleep at home in Azmarin, a small village in north-west Syria, when the house began to shake violently in the middle of the night. The deadly earthquakes of 6 February 2023 had begun. Moments later, the house had collapsed, burying Ahmad, his parents, sister and younger brother under the rubble. By the...
WHO and Ministry of Health illuminate the path to a more resilient Syria on World Mental Health Day
10 October 2023, Damascus, Syria – To mark World Mental Health Day, WHO and the Syrian Ministry of Health launched a 2-day workshop for media professionals to emphasize this year’s theme, “Mental health is a universal human right.” The activity aims to improve knowledge, raise awareness and drive actions that promote and protect everyone’s mental...
