WHO EMRO | 2016 in review: WHO’s work in emergencies in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Syria: More than 5 years of conflict have taken a toll on the health of the Syrian people and the health system that serves them, with almost 13.5 million people requiring humanitarian assistance. More than half of the country’s public hospitals and primary health care centres have either closed or are only partially functioning, hundreds of thousands of children under 5 have missed out on routine vaccination, and thousands of patients have been deprived of treatment for trauma injuries and chronic conditions. Almost two thirds of all health professionals have fled the country and those who remain are at constant risk.