Over the past 2 weeks WHO delivered 2 shipments with more than 125 tons of medical equipment and medicines to health providers in Aleppo, Syrian Arab Republic - in both government-controlled and in opposition-controlled areas. All shipments contained surgical materials, medicines to treat chronic and infectious diseases, infant incubators, ventilators and intensive care unit (ICU) beds.
The first shipment containing 26 tons of medical supplies to treat more than 55 000 patients was delivered on 24 December 2013 to the Aleppo Teaching Hospital. The second shipment containing 80 tons of supplies to treat more than 213 000 patients was delivered to NGOs, local health authorities and to the Syrian Red Crescent Society (SRCS) in Aleppo's contested areas on 3 January 2014. In addition, an estimated 118 000 patients can be treated with another shipment of 20 tons of supplies which were delivered to the Syrian Ministry of Health in Aleppo.
Deteriorating health situation
Since the beginning of the crisis in the Syrian Arab Republic the health situation has been deteriorating with shortages of medicines and health workers, the destruction of health facilities and difficult access to health care. With the substantial damage to pharmaceutical plants, local production of medicines has been reduced by 65-70%. Prior to March 2011, 90% of medicines in the Syrian Arab Republic were locally produced. Medicine prices on the black market have risen steeply and are not available to the majority of the population, especially, in rural areas.
