Mehad and Médecins du Monde (MdM) are issuing an urgent warning that funding cuts for Syria risk forcing humanitarian actors to choose between life-saving interventions and the closure of essential health programmes. An unprecedented 16.7 million people in Syria are in need of aid this year, representing more than 75% of the population. As humanitarian actors are often the only providers of healthcare, reduced funding means that access to healthcare will be severely limited. Mental health and sexual and reproductive health interventions are particularly at risk.
Lack of funding
This year, the financial support pledged by the international community at the 8th Brussels Conference is clearly insufficient, representing only 18% of the funding required for the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) in Syria. As a result, humanitarian organisations will be forced to suspend their humanitarian activities. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), only 16.3% of the health needs described in the Humanitarian Response Plan for Syria had been funded by the end of the first half of 2024. The situation remains dire with recent escalations, failing infrastructure and growing humanitarian needs. OCHA recently estimated that nearly 160 health facilities, including 46 hospitals, would be forced to suspend operations if no additional funding was provided. By August 2024, up to 200 of the 350 health facilities in north-west Syria will be affected.
Critical impact on health services
The lack of funding is forcing humanitarian actors to prioritise life-saving interventions over other essential aid programmes such as mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) and sexual and reproductive health (SRH). In north-west Syria, there are no other government service providers and no capacity to support health services. The region is isolated from the rest of Syria and relies entirely on humanitarian organisations to provide healthcare. As a result, when a facility closes due to budget cuts, there is no interim government agency to maintain operations, depriving the community of essential medical services.
A study conducted by Mehad in August 2023 on a population of 1,537 people in north-west Syria revealed high mental health and psychosocial support needs, with suicidal ideation particularly high in the Jisr-Al-Shugur district (22.91% of participants).
In the districts of Afrin, Harim and Idlib, where one of the Médecins du Monde teams operates, the health situation has been seriously affected. According to an OCHA report updated in May 2024, more than 100 health facilities, including 32 hospitals, had already suspended their services by the end of June. The Health Cluster has expressed concern that, without adequate funding, up to 50% of remaining health facilities in north-west Syria could close in whole or in part by December 2024. MdM Türkiye’s latest multi-sectoral needs assessment report found that 80% of community members identified MdM as their main primary healthcare provider, while only 3% felt that their health needs were being met by the local health authorities. This highlights the crucial importance of funding non-state actors.
In the north-east of Syria, another region where MdM is present, many health centres rely heavily on NGO support, with local health authorities managing only 37.8% of them. Without this support, these centres often lack the necessary resources and staff. In 2023, according to the Humanitarian Needs Overview, nearly one in five people said they could not access essential healthcare. There are also serious shortages of essential medicines, the price of which has risen considerably over the last two years. As a result, a large proportion of the population does not have access to essential healthcare, exacerbating the urgent need for increased funding.
Testimonials from the field
Dr Mohammad Faris, medical manager for the MdM Turkey programme, said: “MdM Turkey is the main healthcare provider for the majority of the local community. Without sufficient funding, we risk being unable to meet these needs, leaving many people without access to essential medical care. It is vital that the international community recognises the urgency of the situation and provides support.
Osamah Alhoussin, head of Mehad’s programmes for north-west Syria, added: “After a surge of attention following the earthquake in February 2023, institutional funding for the north-west quickly dried up, while the humanitarian situation remains extremely worrying. Without a rapid new influx of funds from international donors, we will soon be unable to meet these vital needs.”
Call for action
Médecins du Monde and Mehad are calling for an urgent increase in donor support to meet health needs and ensure that everyone can live in dignity. Every human being has the right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health through universal access to quality health services. The international community must act now to prevent further closures of health facilities and ensure that the Syrian people continue to have access to essential health services.
Médecins du Monde’s work in Syria – Médecins du Monde began its activities in 2008, providing primary healthcare services in the Aleppo governorate in partnership with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), before the start of the conflict. With the outbreak of hostilities, Médecins du Monde adapted its response to better meet the needs of the Syrian population. Over the last eleven years of the Syrian conflict, MdM has been involved in numerous humanitarian medical activities to help people suffering from the war. The complexity of the conflict – with many actors, limited access, direct attacks on health staff and facilities, and huge needs – has led to an equally complex response. MdM works with Syrian refugees directly or through partnerships with local actors in Syria and neighbouring countries.
Mehad is a French health and international solidarity NGO set up in 2011 by a group of doctors to respond to the urgent need to provide healthcare to people affected by the war in Syria and neighbouring countries. Today, Mehad manages around forty healthcare facilities in the country and has been facing the constant challenge of providing access to healthcare in a war-torn environment since the start of the conflict. Mehad’s core mission is to engage constructively with local stakeholders to ensure quality healthcare and long-term social development for vulnerable populations. Thanks to an in-depth understanding of the needs of the population and long-standing partnerships, the NGO has developed unique expertise in responding to local emergency, health and development issues.
