The World Health Organization continues to hold routine Health Cluster meetings inside Syria.

The meeting, held in Idlib Governorate in northwestern Syria for the fourth consecutive time, was attended by the Idlib Health Directorate and partner humanitarian organizations working in the health sector. The attendees discussed issues such as health gaps, lack of funding, the recent waves of displacement and their impact on service provision, in addition to the ongoing shelling by regime forces and the targeting of healthcare facilities.

Dr. Zohair Al-Karrat, the Director of Idlib Health Directorate, presented an overview of the most significant achievements from the past month, among them was the successful transfer of patients requiring complex emergency heart surgeries to Turkish territory for the procedures. He also warned of the severity of the situation in the coming days with the spread of seasonal respiratory illnesses and highlighted the preparations being made by Idlib Health Directorate to address this crisis, especially amidst the suspension of support for some facilities that provide services to children and newborns.

For their part, representatives of partner organizations working in the health sector provided updates on the state of the health response and the major challenges facing their work in the region.