Remarks of the WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean for the Brussels Syria side event

24 March 2021 –  A few months ago, I visited Damascus, Homs and Hama, witnessing firsthand the devastating impact of the decade-long conflict and the resulting humanitarian crisis, now worsened by COVID-19.   While there, I met frontline workers who continue to brave dangerous working conditions to save lives. I spoke to parents desperate for a better future for their children. In Damascus, I visited a WHO-rehabilitated emergency wing of a hospital which treats hundreds of children daily, suffering burns, injuries and life-threatening infections.  Nonetheless, I was struck by the resilience and positive spirit of people who remain resolute in restoring peace and prosperity to Syria.  After 10 years of fighting, the situation in Syria remains dire. In fact, humanitarian needs are increasing. Today, 90% of the population live below the poverty line and more than half are in urgent need of humanitarian health assistance – a statistic that has increased due to COVID-19.   Safe drinking-water and adequate food are not readily available for many, resulting in an increasingly complex disease profile. One third of the population, most of whom are women and children, are internally displaced within camps and other settings across the northwest and northeast pockets of the country.   Internally displaced people in Syria, in camp and settlements, and among the host population, represent the most vulnerable subsets of the population....
Source: WHO EMRO News - Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news