Generous donation of medical equipment from Japan boosts public health services in Syria
3 September 2018, Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic – The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomes the generous donation from the Government of Japan which has enabled WHO to procure advanced medical equipment. The equipment, worth over US$ 12 million, is the largest donation received by WHO in Syria. It includes magnetic resonance imaging scanners, ultrasound machines, echocardiography equipment, X-ray machines, respirators and other items. WHO in Syria will distribute the equipment to public and university hospitals throughout the country.
Attacks on health care on the rise throughout Syria in first half of 2018, says WHO
19 August 2018 – 8 years into the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, attacks on health care facilities and personnel in the country continue to rise despite United Nations resolutions strongly condemning these attacks. In the first 6 months of 2018, there were 126 separate attacks on health care in Syria – more than for the whole of 2017. Syria now accounts for a staggering 70% of all attacks on health care facilities documented by WHO worldwide.
Critical funding shortage threatens WHO’s response in northwest Syria
20 August 2018 – As the conflict in northwest Syria escalates, WHO is appealing for US$ 11 million to provide life-saving health care to people in parts of Aleppo, Hama, Idleb and Lattakia governorates.
Hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom have been previously displaced, may be displaced yet again as they flee growing insecurity and violence. The situation in Idleb is particularly dire; more than half a million people have been displaced to and within the governorate since January 2017.
WHO supports life-saving health care for people in southern Syria
Amman, 15 August 2018 – The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting the provision of life-saving health care services for more than 900 000 conflict-affected people in southern Syria.
Since mid-June 2018, WHO has delivered 61 tons of supplies – enough for more than 312 000 treatments – to the Directorates of Health in Dar’a and Quneitra, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and As Sweida National Hospital. The supplies include surgical, trauma and burn kits, chronic disease medicines and insulin. WHO is also supporting the only functioning blood bank in areas of southern Syria that were formerly controlled by non-state armed groups.