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On the occasion of the 8th Brussels Conference, Dünya Doktorları/Médecins du Monde Türkiye emphasizes the critical importance of sustainable solutions to address the protracted humanitarian crisis in Syria, particularly in healthcare. As the crisis enters its 14th year, the burden on the healthcare system has never been heavier. There is a crucial need for adaptable and sustainable funding mechanisms to support the health infrastructure and ensure the provision of essential services to the most vulnerable populations.
For over 13 years, Northwest Syria has been caught up in a protracted conflict exacerbated by outbreaks and natural disasters such earthquakes, significantly amplifying the humanitarian needs. Currently, 4.2 million people rely on humanitarian assistance, with millions of internally displaced. Despite these increasing needs, funding remains insufficient, intensifying the crisis. Moreover, a permanent solution for UN cross-border humanitarian access to Northwest Syria has yet to be established, further hindering aid delivery to vulnerable populations. In light of these challenges, there is a pressing need for donors to reassess their approach and allocate funds that are commensurate with the scale and complexity of the crisis.
It is high time to prioritize sustainable humanitarian activities, particularly early recovery efforts, which go beyond immediate relief and lay the foundation for long-term resilience and sustainable health systems. Early recovery initiatives offer durable solutions that alleviate pressure on emergency aid and reduce dependency on humanitarian assistance.
Rather than addressing only immediate medical needs with short-term fixes, early recovery efforts prioritize repairing and rehabilitation of medical facilities. This helps communities access healthcare more easily and effectively, making them less vulnerable to epidemics and health emergencies. It's a more sustainable and cost-effective approach in the long term, without the need for expensive new construction projects. In a recent Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment Survey conducted by Dünya Doktorları /Médecins du Monde Türkiye, 67% of respondant reported the lack of specialized services in Northwest Syria. This shortage is largely due to the lack of qualified medical professionals, posing a major problem to the country’s healthcare system. Rather than relying on unsustainable short-term solutions that requires repeated efforts and additional costs, investing in long-term programs such as capacity building training will serve to address this shortage of qualified medical staff effectively.
Despite donor-political challenges, early recovery approaches are essential to ensuring the endurance and efficacy of interventions over time and deliver greater benefits by prioritising resilience.
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In light of these exigencies, Dünya Doktorları/Médecins du Monde Türkiye calls upon donors to realign their strategies and invest in Early Recovery Programming, and support multi-year, multi-sector approaches, with adaptable funding options wherever possible. This plays a pivotal role in addressing the evolving needs of the population and ensuring sustainability.
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Dünya Doktorlari/Médecins du Monde Türkiye encourages donor investment in capacity-building programs not only for health workers but also for other stakeholders responsible for managing the health system in Syria. This includes the accreditation of health personnel qualification centers and universities in the various regions of the country. Such initiatives are crucial for developing a sustainable healthcare workforce and infrastructure in Syria.
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Dünya Doktorları/Médecins du Monde Türkiye calls on all humanitarian actors, NGOs, the UN and the donors to support the implementation of a comprehensive early recovery strategy for Syria, remembering that a sustainable heatlhcare system is vital for the life, rights and dignity of civilian populations, and should be distinguished from political considerations.
Dünya Doktorları/ Médecins du Monde Türkiye is a Türkiye-based humanitarian non-governmental organisation that facilitates access to healthcare for populations affected by armed conflict, violence, natural disasters, disease, famine, poverty and exclusion.
Our organisation collaborates with partners and key stakeholders to implement projects that facilitate access to primary and secondary healthcare services and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services to respond to the medical needs of displaced population.
Dünya Doktorları Derneği is the 16th member of the Médecins du Monde International Network that is committed to meeting the health needs of vulnerable people globally. Responding to the humanitarian crises emerged in the region from within the crisis DDD seeks out marginalized populations and builds necessary infrastructures for long-term and sustainable healthcare services in areas society would prefer to ignore.