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Turkey Hub Health Cluster Bulletin - January 2020

Countries
Syria
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Sources
Health Cluster
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Publication date

HIGHLIGHTS

• On the 10th January 2020, the UN Security Council adopted UNCS Resolution #2504 extending the cross-border operations out of Bab al-Salam and Bab al-Hawa (Turkey) for six months, until the 10th July 2020.

• The resolution excluded the cross-border through Al-Ramtha and Al Yarubiyah (Jordan and Iraq). The resolution calls for an independent review of cross-border operations, and improved monitoring of delivery and distribution of relief within 6 months.

• By end of January, the ongoing NWS military operation escalated significantly and displaced more than 500,000 IDPs.

• Inter-Cluster Northwest Syria Readiness and Response Plan was released by OCHA on 31st January 2020. The plan focuses only on critical gaps in people’s humanitarian needs and funding needs related to the increased hostilities in northwest Syria that began in December 2019, as projected until end-July 2020. In total, over 2.8 million people in northwest Syria – displaced people and host communities – require humanitarian assistance and are exposed to ongoing hostilities and disruption of services.

• On January 31st WHO emergency committee declared the Novel Coronavirus 2019 outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern.

Situation update:

By January 2020, the ongoing military operation escalated significantly as the government forces of the Syrian army advanced towards Idleb governorate. Further escalation of military operations and hostilities in northwest Syria displaced more than 517,0005 people, uprooting lives and further concentrating the need for humanitarian support to both IDPs and host communities in ever-shrinking areas of northwest Idleb within districts borderline Turkey and northern Aleppo.

Tens of thousands have moved to areas such as Afrin and A’zaz in northern Aleppo governorate. In January, alone 1,446,401 IDPs left their houses seeking a safe shelter.

Meanwhile, the Government of Syria reiterated its calls on Turkey to implement the September 2018 Sochi agreement, specifically by restoring the Syrian government access to the Aleppo to Latakia (M4) and the Aleppo to Hama (M5) motorways, and eliminating so called “terrorist groups” in the affected region.

The armed escalation caused and continue cause major disruption in the provision of health services. In the 2019 last quarter report, the HeRAMS dataset consisted of 547 Health facilities compared to 540 in Q3, of which 304 Health facilities were reported to be functional and supported by 50 health managing partners (down from 57 partners).

The facilities breakdown was:

  • 54 Hospitals (↓by 7 compared to previous quarter)

  • 141 fix Primary Health Care centers (↓12)

  • 50 mobile clinics (↓5)

  • 21 others (↓1)

By 31st January about 62 primary health care centres, hospitals and other facilities suspended and/or close the provision of services in northwest Syria due to safety constraints as the armed conflict intensified. As per the below table, 42 (68%) of the suspension were in Idleb in Al Ma'ra district. 50 (81%) were hospitals, primary health centres and specialized centres.

The limited available medical staff in NWS as well was directly displaced, an estimated total of 166 doctors, 268 nurses and 51 midwives, worsening the provision of lifesavings medical interventions to the affected displaced population and hosting communities.