In Syria, access to healthcare remains a major challenge, particularly for pregnant women. Prenatal care, childbirth and the first few days of a baby’s life are crucial stages, during which a lack of appropriate care can put the health of both mother and child at risk.
To meet these needs, Mehad supports two organisations dedicated to maternal health in north-eastern Syria: the Al Harijieh centre and the Al Hol maternity unit. In 2025, these two facilities carried out more than 42,000 consultations and assisted with 2,345 births. Since 2021, they have assisted with nearly 10,800 births in a region where access to healthcare remains limited.
Al Harijieh: emergency obstetric care brought closer to women
The Al Harijieh Centre is a BEmOC (Basic Emergency Obstetric Care) centre. It provides care for pregnant women, supports them during childbirth and intervenes in the event of complications that do not require surgery.
Its teams provide antenatal and postnatal care, with consultations carried out by a gynaecologist or midwife to identify and prevent risks to mothers and their babies. The centre also provides care for vaginal deliveries, basic obstetric emergencies, first aid and resuscitation for newborns, as well as postnatal care for mothers. Where surgical intervention is required, patients are referred to a suitable hospital.
In 2025, the centre carried out 9,136 consultations and 372 deliveries.
Al Hol: a leading maternity hospital for the whole region
Supported by Mehad since 2020, the Al Hol maternity unit – also known as Salam Hospital – provides care for women from Al Hol and the surrounding villages, in an area stretching as far as Hassakeh.
In addition to vaginal deliveries, the maternity unit performs caesarean sections and manages obstetric emergencies. Both before and after the birth, mothers receive medical care, postnatal care and free reproductive health services. Every newborn is examined by a paediatrician. Strict hygiene and sterilisation protocols are followed to minimise the risk of infection.
In 2025, the maternity unit carried out nearly 33,000 consultations and 1,973 deliveries, of which 1,135 were by caesarean section.
Ensuring access to healthcare for mothers and their children
Today, these two organisations are vital for tens of thousands of women and their children. Yet their future is uncertain: the withdrawal of certain funding threatens to bring their activities to a halt in 2027. Without new support, thousands of women could find themselves without antenatal care or a safe place to give birth, in a region where alternatives are scarce.
Faced with these uncertainties, Mehad is taking action to secure new funding and ensure the continuity of care for mothers and their newborns.
