The Feb 6, 2023 earthquake has devastated areas in northwest Syria controlled by the Türkiye-backed Syrian National Army and extremist Hayat Tahrir Sham, and respectively run by their civilian affiliates, the Syrian Interim Government (SIG) and the Syrian Salvation Government. The earthquake brought further suffering to 4·5 million people, of whom 2·8 million or 62% have been forcibly displaced from other areas,
trapped on less than 5% of Syria’s land, and who have already endured years of violence and atrocities by the Assad government and violations of rights and freedoms under de-facto militant authorities. The earthquake-caused full or partial damage to 55 health facilities.
This inflicts crippling damage to a local health system that has been severely weakened by years of deliberate attacks by the Assad government, part of a strategy of weaponisation of health care that is chronically plagued by limited capacity and resources.
The health system is unable to meet the increasingly complex needs of the population and is largely dependent on international assistance, as is the population. Under Russian and Chinese vetoes, only one border crossing, Bab al-Hawa, remains open for UN humanitarian access.