One year after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the Syrian healthcare system remains in crisis. Non-functioning or poorly equipped infrastructures, shortages of medicines, limited access to care… humanitarian needs remain immense, while international aid remains insufficient. The NGO Mehad is sounding the alarm and calling for urgent support to prevent the overall collapse of the health system.
As we approach 8 December, the first anniversary of the fall of the regime, Mehad, a medical NGO founded by doctors from the Syrian diaspora at the start of the war in 2011, takes stock of an alarming situation. According to the Syrian Ministry of Health, 30% of the country’s hospitals are out of service or only partially operational. Many centres still in operation lackessential equipment: anaesthesia machines, monitors, radiology equipment, etc. Shortages of medicines are critical, particularly for cancer treatments – 80% of patients no longer have access to them – but also for chronic diseases and immune therapies.
“The Ministry has been working since the beginning of 2025 to rebuild and equip hospitals and improve health coverage,” explains Osamah AlHoussin, Deputy Director of the Syrian Public Health Emergency Operations Centre. “Despite our efforts and the support of our partners, the scale of the needs remains colossal.
Massive humanitarian needs, inadequate international response
According to the WHO, 7.4 million Syrians have already seen their access to care and treatment reduced in recent months. ” The situation on the ground is catastrophic,” laments Ziad Alissa, co-founder of Mehad and anaesthetist-resuscitator. “Syrians returning to their towns and villages often find hospitals in ruins, with inadequate staff and equipment and frequent power cuts.
Despite the scale of the needs, the response from international donors remains very limited: only 20% of the funding required for the health sector, estimated at $565 million for 2025, has been received. ” Needs will remain enormous for several years to come “, warns Mego Terzian, CEO of Mehad, “The decline in funding, exacerbated by the abrupt cessation of USAID aid, has already been felt for several years”.
Since the beginning of 2025, Mehad has had to close three dialysis centres in the north-east of the country, the only ones still operating in the region, as well as four mother and child centres and five primary care centres due to a lack of funding. ” Our budget for Syria has fallen from 13 million euros in 2023 to barely 5 million in 2025 “, explains Mego Terzian. ” Without massive and immediate support, the Syrian healthcare system is at risk of total collapse.
Mehad is continuingits work in Syria, alongside local teams and communities, to guarantee access to healthcare and strengthen health services in the long term. Your support enables Mehad to continue its mission.
