Syria’s Healthcare System Close to Collapse, WHO Official Warns

Syria’s decimated healthcare system is facing a catastrophic crisis, with nearly half of the country’s medical workforce having fled amidst 13 years of civil war, crippling sanctions, and natural disasters, a top WHO official has warned.

Hanan Balkhy, the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean regional director, described the situation as “catastrophic” after a recent visit, with a “staggering” number of people in dire need and alarming rates of child malnutrition.

Only 65% of hospitals and 62% of primary care centers remain operational, facing severe shortages of medicines, equipment, and basic resources like reliable electricity. Balkhy urged donors to increase humanitarian funding, stressing that “prevention is my game” and much of the harm being seen is preventable.

She proposed creative solutions like engaging doctors in research and providing virtual platforms to keep them connected globally, warning that young medics are now learning German to leave the country.