The UN World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday launched an appeal to raise $56.4 million over the next six months, echoing deep concerns over the scale of needs and “tremendous hardships” that Syrians still face.

Dr Christina Bethke, acting WHO representative in Syria, in a statement, warned that displaced communities continue to live in overcrowded conditions.

Ms Bethke said they live in overcrowded conditions in formal camps and shelters, with too little to eat and succumbing to respiratory infections and other communicable diseases including diarrhoea and scabies.

Speaking from Damascus, Ms Bethke described the WHO assessment team’s mission to Idlib in the northwest of the country.

“They spoke to dedicated surgeons who have worked tirelessly during this escalation over the last three weeks, often under attack and in order to save lives.

“One surgeon shared the words of these patients, saying, ‘We finally sleep at night, no longer worrying about being bombarded.”

Funding for WHO’s appeal will sustain critical health services during the transition period, including 141 health facilities in northwest Syria that are at risk of “imminent closure in the coming weeks”, owing to a lack of resources.

“The health infrastructure is severely strained, and we saw in just three weeks during this escalation 36 attacks on health care have been reported, and over half the country’s hospitals are non-functional,” Ms Bethke said.

Also briefing in Geneva, UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan insisted that “whoever is in power, the obligations of the states remain the same, and that is the protection of all human rights for all Syrians.

“When it comes to sanctions, it is important that any sanctions imposed by any party take into consideration the importance of humanitarian aid for the civilians. This should not be affected in any way.”

Providing insight into her high-level meetings in Damascus, Army Pope, director-general of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) described a “sense of openness” to the international community.

She also described the willingness to engage with it – a message that was “echoed throughout by all members of the caretaker government to all parties, whether they were other members of the diplomatic corps or other members of the UN family.

According to her, IOM has been unable to operate in Syria since 2018.

“Today, more than 90 per cent of Syrians live below the poverty line and 800,000 people have been newly displaced in recent weeks, presenting a massive new humanitarian emergency.

“Frankly, across the board, we’ve had some pretty serious challenges meeting those humanitarian needs, largely because of the barriers put in place by the Assad government, but also because of the ongoing conflict,” Pope explained in reference to ongoing clashes across Syria.

The IOM chief said as crucial as immediate relief aid is for Syria, it should be accompanied by “stabilising” the situation in the country.

(NAN)