Press Release

Syria. Un Ponte Per provides assistance to the population thanks to the support of the European Union
Thanks to the support of the European Union, Un Ponte Per provided free essential health care to more than 95,000 vulnerable people living in IDP camps

Syria, 16 July 2024 - The project 'Life-saving healthcare for the war-affected population in north-eastern Syria' implemented by the Italian NGO Un Ponte Per (UPP) and its local partner, the Kurdish Red Crescent (KRC), has just ended. The project provided basic and emergency health care to populations that suffered the devastating effects of the war, such as displaced persons and refugees living in major camps in north-eastern Syria.

The project, launched in April 2023, was made possible thanks to the support of the European Union, which has been supporting Un Ponte Per in Syria since 2017, ensuring the continuity of essential and life-saving health services and specialised care for women, infants and children.

The intervention has reached over 95,000 people by providing comprehensive support to Primary Health Centres and ambulances covering the entire territory of north-east Syria. Of these, 80% are women and children. In the dramatic Syrian context, where the conflict has been affecting the population for 13 years, the health system has been severely compromised due to the destruction of health facilities and the shortage of specialised personnel, medical devices and medicines. All this has been severely aggravated by a dramatic economic crisis that has led to 97% of the Syrian population living below the poverty line.

The project provided continuous support to 5 Primary Health Centres in the Al Hol, Areesha, Abu Khashab, Serekanye and Mahmoudli camps; 11 ambulances, and an Emergency Management and Coordination Centre to manage ambulance transfers in case of emergencies or epidemics (such as cholera). Thanks to strong coordination with local actors, during the project UPP transferred the Mahmoudli Health Centre to the management of the local authorities, who will continue to keep it functional.

All services are free and universally accessible, thanks to the continuous work of UPP staff and partners to ensure fair and non-discriminatory access to health care. In one year, the facilities supported by UPP and its partner provided more than 145,000 medical examinations, assisted in the safe birth of a total of 639 babies with their specialised staff (in a context where home births are still common, contributing to increased maternal/infant mortality), and provided emergency ambulance transport services for more than 8,000 patients with life-threatening conditions.

In addition, more than 73,000 people received essential information to improve their health status and prevent highly lethal communicable diseases, especially among children, as well as crucial information and referral pathways on available protection services for the most vulnerable, thanks to the constant presence of community health workers and protection prevention officers working within the facilities and communities.