WAITING FOR THE SUN. LIFE IN GAZA, BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY AND REALITY
In the emergency department of the National Hospital in Hassakeh, Syria, generators hum, medical teams are at work, ambulances arrive non-stop. For hundreds of thousands of people, this public hospital is the only point of reference for specialised care and life-saving interventions. It is here that Un Ponte Per, together with local partners, has built a bridge between those most in need and a health system brought to its knees by years of crisis and sudden cuts in humanitarian funding.
By mid-2025, the situation in north-east Syria was dramatic: 68 health facilities were at risk of closure and only 1 out of 16 public hospitals remained fully operational. The consequences fell mainly on pregnant women, children and people with chronic illnesses, who were suddenly forced to forego essential examinations, medicines and operations. In the camps for displaced people, overcrowding and precarious water and sanitation infrastructure have multiplied the risks of epidemics.
The suspension of international humanitarian support to the National Hospital in Hassakeh, due to cuts imposed on USAID, had left over 333,000 people without access to public, free and specialist care.
'BRIDGE': AN ALLIANCE TO KEEP THE HEALTH SYSTEM ALIVE
Thanks to the solidarity of donors, we were able to supply the hospital with drugs, equipment and basic medical supplies, but the demands were growing daily. With the 'BRIDGE' programme, carried out together with ACTED and thanks to the invaluable support of the Syrian Humanitarian Fund (SHF), we were able to respond promptly to this emergency.
In 6 months of intervention, between Hassakeh, Deir-ez-Zor and Raqqa, we provided free integrated healthcare to over 137,000 people, supporting 7 facilities:
We have provided drugs and medical devices, trained health personnel, strengthened maternal and child care and emergency services, and enhanced pathways for taking charge of and transferring patients to specialist care when necessary.
We have done this by strengthening local public structures: because the self-determination of a community also passes through the right to a free public health system.
THE HASSAKEH NATIONAL HOSPITAL AT THE CENTRE: THE 'BRIDGE' THAT CANNOT BE BROKEN
At Hassakeh Hospital, we were able to break down the economic barriers that prevented the most vulnerable people from accessing diagnostic tests, surgery and treatment. When a service was not available in-house, we provided transfers and reimbursements to external referral facilities.
To do this, we created the Health Equity Fund (HEF): a health equity fund that covers, on a case-by-case basis, the primary and life-saving care costs of displaced persons and refugees. The fund enables displaced persons to access specialist care that would otherwise be out of their reach. Most of them, in fact, are unable to afford even the capped fees of the public health system, let alone the much higher costs of private facilities.
"I cannot thank you enough for all the efforts you made to save my life. The cost of the surgery would have been impossiblefor me and my family tobear," said Amira, a 40-year-old woman who arrived at Hassake Hospital with angina and was promptly identified by health workers at our clinic in Washokani camp. Urgently stabilised, she underwent surgery and was able to return to her family.
But 'BRIDGE' was also able to provide long-term, non-emergency care, as in the case of Saleh, a 35-year-old man suffering from chronic pain due to hip joint problems.
"I was not able to bear the costs of the procedure nor the transport costs from the camp to the hospital. This operation gave me a new life, without pain," he told us after the surgery he was able to access thanks to the orthopaedic team at the Hassakeh National Hospital.
CONTINUE, TOGETHER
These months of work in Syria have allowed us to continue a long journey, undertaken alongside local communities more than 15 years ago, with the aim of supporting them in their efforts to build a quality, public and accessible health system, in defiance of the ongoing crises in the country.
As Dr Salar, medical coordinator of the Hassakeh National Hospital, recalled, "this intervention was instrumental in saving lives. We are proud of what we have built together, and I want to express my deep gratitude to the entire UPP team. Our hospital has become a landmark, strengthening the entire community.The legacy of what we have done will continue for a long time, and we hope to continue this journey together".
