Damascus, 12 September 2014 – The World Health Organization (WHO) together with SARC delivered medical assistance from Damascus to hard-to-reach locations in Daraa and Rural Damascus governorates.

Health authorities in three opposition-controlled villages (Bosra, Al-Hirak and Jasim) in Daraa governorate received antibiotics and medicines for chronic diseases to treat over 108 000 people. Additional medical supplies were prepositioned in the governorate for future distribution to other villages.

On 9 September 2014, urgently needed antibiotics and WASH supplies to respond to the increasing number of diarrhoeal diseases and typhoid cases were delivered for a population of over 349 000 to local authorities in Douma town in the Eastern Ghouta area of Rural Damascus.

“With more of the hard-to-reach areas now being accessible, people in Daraa, Rural Damascus and across the country are benefiting from these deliveries.” said WHO Representative to Syria, Elizabeth Hoff. She added that: “More is needed to improve people’s access to medical treatments, health services and equipment, including for surgical interventions.”

The health situation in Daraa and Rural Damascus governorates is critical, with both areas suffering acute shortages of life-saving treatments and basic medical supplies. In both governorates over half of the health facilities have been severely damaged since the onset of the conflict in 2011.

These deliveries come in line with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2165 (2014), and WHO’s strategy to reach Syrians in need through direct deliveries  to all hard-to-reach locations in collaboration with local health authorities and partners.

WHO continues to scale up its efforts to provide medical treatments to those in need across the country. Since the beginning of 2014, the Organization has supported over 8 million people, including those in besieged, hard-to-reach and opposition-controlled areas, most recently in Aleppo, Ar-Raqqah and Idleb governorates.

For more information, please contact:

Karim Shukr
Media and Communication Officer in Syria
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Mobile: +963953888470

Prior to the current outbreak, Syria’s last confirmed polio case (due to an imported wild poliovirus) was in 1999. Syria remained polio free until October 2013 when wild poliovirus was confirmed in Deir ez-Zor, and Aleppo, following importation of wild poliovirus closely related to strains currently circulating in Pakistan. The total number of confirmed polio cases in 2013 was 23.

Polio situation reports