Bierut – Syria's healthcare system is on the brink of collapse, with widespread infrastructure destruction, severe shortages of medicines and supplies, a shrinking health workforce, and the closure of several medical facilities. Millions of lives are at risk, especially in the country's northern regions.
The rapid deterioration stems from years of armed conflict that have exhausted the health sector and deepened its fragility. The absence of effective state institutions to provide basic services and the population's near-total reliance on humanitarian aid further compounds the crisis.
This structural fragility is compounded by a sharp decline in foreign funding for medical services, deepening the crisis and driving many medical facilities into insolvency or closure. A key turning point was the decision by the administration of US President Donald Trump to halt USAID programmes, cutting off one of Syria's main sources of medical support.
Ongoing instability in Syria poses a grave threat to the provision of essential health services, as an estimated 15.8 million people are in urgent need of medical assistance
Since the beginning of the conflict, Syria has faced a severe shortage of medical supplies and hospital services. The United States had addressed a significant portion of these needs through non-governmental organisations operating in areas outside the former regime's control. According to The Washington Post, the US provided over $18 billion in humanitarian aid over 14 years, much of it directed to the health sector. However, the decision by President Trump's administration to halt USAID operations has worsened humanitarian suffering, particularly in the medical field.
European funding, while relatively stable, remains insufficient to meet the escalating needs of the health sector. Years of conflict have caused widespread destruction of medical infrastructure, placing millions of lives at risk, especially in the northern regions of the country.
Ongoing instability in Syria poses a grave threat to the provision of essential health services, as an estimated 15.8 million people are in urgent need of medical assistance. Only 57 per cent of hospitals and 37 per cent of primary healthcare centres are operating at full capacity. Most facilities face critical shortages of medical supplies, outdated equipment, and extensive infrastructure damage.
Many hospitals and medical clinics in northern Syria have been forced to cease operations or significantly scale back services, while many humanitarian and medical organisations now offer only minimal support due to reduced or halted external funding. This has placed additional strain on the limited capacity of those organisations still operating or less affected by the suspension of international aid.
The humanitarian situation in Syria must be treated as a continuing health emergency, demanding an urgent and coordinated international response. This includes increased funding for the health sector and measures to ensure its long-term sustainability.
Since the outbreak of the conflict in 2011 and throughout the ensuing 14-year war, Syrians have relied almost entirely on humanitarian aid to meet their basic needs. This dependence stems from the absence of functioning state institutions capable of providing even minimal public services, particularly in the healthcare sector. This situation has persisted despite the fall of the former regime in December 2024.
The continued deterioration of Syria's economy, along with the near-total breakdown of key sectors including healthcare, has further weakened the health system and limited the population's access to medical care. The effects of war and economic sanctions, although now lifted, mean that tangible improvements in daily life are unlikely to be felt in the short term. It will take considerable time before Syrians witness real progress in the quality of health services and the availability of essential medical supplies.
In a statement, Zuhair Karat, Director of Planning and International Cooperation at the Syrian Ministry of Health, noted that several organisations previously implementing projects with US funding, including IRC, International Relief, Shafak and GOAL, were forced to suspend their health, relief, education, environmental sanitation and shelter programmes. This disruption has affected more than a million people in northwest Syria and has also caused significant harm in the northeast, despite the limited availability of data on the situation there.
According to Save the Children, around 416,000 children in Syria are at risk of severe malnutrition following the suspension or reduction of internationally supported food and health programmes. The organisation was also forced to halt approximately 40 per cent of its food assistance in northwestern Syria due to the cessation of US funding.
An estimated 246 health facilities in northern and northeastern Syria are expected to shut down due to insufficient funding, according to data from the World Health Organization. Many of these facilities are essential for responding to medical emergencies. In April 2025, Al-Kasra General Hospital in Deir ez-Zor announced the closure of its wing dedicated to treating malnourished children following the suspension of USAID funding.
Data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) indicate that around 90 per cent of Syrians live below the poverty line, 12.9 million suffer from food insecurity, and more than half the population struggles to access clean water. These conditions underscore the urgent need for a functioning health system, as facilities face mounting challenges due to the new Syrian administration's inability to secure adequate funding, compounded by the suspension of US aid. This has deepened the health crisis and further limited access to basic healthcare services.
Unilateral decisions to suspend or reduce funding, without regard for the humanitarian consequences, have created serious gaps in health response efforts that local and international institutions are unable to fully address. The primary responsibility for upholding the right to health lies with the Syrian authorities, who must develop and implement a comprehensive national strategy to rehabilitate the health infrastructure and ensure sustainable funding. This strategy must be grounded in transparency, efficiency and equitable distribution to end excessive dependence on foreign aid.
The international community and donors must uphold their moral responsibilities and legal obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, particularly the duty to facilitate access to medical aid and to provide support within available resources.
Collective and coordinated funding mechanisms are essential to bridging the current gap, ensuring the continuity of essential health services, and preventing the collapse of critical facilities, thereby averting a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe.
