Lifesaving health services at imminent risk in northwest Syria if UN cross-border aid ends, the IRC warns

New York, NY, July 6, 2022 —  On July 10, the UN-led cross-border mechanism in northwestern Syria is set to expire unless the UN Security Council urgently re-authorizes the resolution this week. Failure to renew the mechanism will have a devastating impact on millions of Syrians currently reliant on cross-border assistance to access critical health services, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has warned.

In 2021, 1.3 million people received life-saving health assistance through the Bab-Al Hawa crossing, the last remaining cross-border channel which is at risk of being shuttered. Almost 60% of outpatient consultations across the country rely on assistance provided cross-border. In the northwest of the country, the area most reliant on cross-border aid, more than 3.1 million people currently require humanitarian support to access basic health services[1].

New IRC data recently collected from communities in northwestern Syria between March and April drives home just how reliant people are in the region on humanitarian assistance to receive health support. 98% of the women interviewed, and almost 90% of the men, reported struggling to find medicines as a key barrier when they tried accessing basic health services. This represents a 50% and 30% increase respectively since the same period last year.

For the 63 hospitals, 170 primary health centers, 42 specialized care centers and 45 mobile clinics currently providing health services across the northwest of Syria, the UN’s cross-border mechanism is quite simply a life-line - if not reauthorized, humanitarian INGOs like the IRC will be unable to fill the gaps in medical stocks and services.

One of IRC’s clients, a 42-year-old displaced Syrian, in northwest Syria told us:

“Just talking about the ending of humanitarian aid makes me feel anxious. My worries increase and I begin to imagine myself in the street and not getting my medicine. My family would have to resort to begging so we can afford to buy them privately. I hope that they [the UN Security Council] will continue to allow the passage of humanitarian aid into Syria and that it will not stop. We count on them to continue this support and to save us from a possible disaster.”

David Miliband, IRC President and CEO said:

“The IRC’s teams and our health partners are working tirelessly in northern Syria to ensure essential medical services and supplies reach those who need them the most. The impact of eleven years of conflict has left Syria’s health system struggling to cope. Across the country Syrian communities are now without sufficient functional health facilities, essential medical supplies, or qualified personnel. When cross-border access was cut off to northeast Syria in January 2020, the negative impact on people’s daily lives was immediate. Millions now stand to lose access to healthcare when they need it most.

For Syrians living in the northwest of the country, failing to reauthorize the only remaining border crossing could represent the biggest attack on healthcare since the humanitarian crisis began. That is why IRC is unequivocal in our call for the UN Security Council to put principles above politics. The UN’s cross-border mechanism must be reauthorized for 12 months to ensure more lives are not needlessly lost.”

END

Notes to editors

• We have spokespeople in the region available to do interviews.
• The new IRC study among communities in northwest Syria conducted between March and April this year showed a significant increase in the number of people reporting challenges when accessing health services in comparison with the same period last year. Almost all women interviewed said that medicines were not available, a 50% increase from last year, whereas for men, the numbers grew 30% with 90% of men reporting lack of medicines as a barrier when accessing health services.
• Further consequences of non-renewal will include significant disruption to life-saving health services. These include the treatment for chronic diseases, like diabetes and hypertension, mental health and psychosocial support services, treatment of malnutrition for children, and sexual and reproductive healthcare for women and girls.
• The IRC and its partners in northwest Syria reached over 474,000 patients in 2021 through 20 health facilities: 2 hospitals - including 1 COVID isolation hospital, 4 mobile clinics, 13 primary health care centers and 1 mental health center. Additionally, we have an ambulatory system that contains 10 ambulances, 6 of which are dedicated to the COVID-19 response, transporting suspected cases to testing facilities and then transferring them for treatment. In addition to our ambulances, our response to the pandemic includes implementing infection, prevention and control measures across all IRC supported health facilities; training staff in how to protect themselves and their patients from the virus; and continuing to raise awareness of the pandemic in the communities where we and our partners operate. The IRC also provides specialist care to vulnerable women and girls, pregnant women and the elderly; provides psychosocial support to help children and their families overcome emotional distress; and helps thousands of Syrians gain an income through emergency cash distributions, business grants and training.

[1] https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/sites/www.humanitarianresponse.in…