In the wake of the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey on Feb. 6, it’s unclear how many health facilities were damaged, but there are grave concerns rebel-held northwest Syria’s public health systems could be on the brink of collapse.
The health systems in the country’s northwest have been “pulverized” from the 12 years of conflict, said Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Programme, during a press conference on Sunday. This has included physical damage to infrastructure and the exodus of health workers.
“A death by 1,000 cuts to the system,” he said, adding that the major concern for health in the aftermath of the earthquakes is in the northwest area.
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About the author
Sara Jervingsarajerving
Sara Jerving is a Senior Reporter at Devex, where she covers global health. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, VICE News, and Bloomberg News among others. Sara holds a master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism where she was a Lorana Sullivan fellow. She was a finalist for One World Media's Digital Media Award in 2021; a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists in 2018; and she was part of a VICE News Tonight on HBO team that received an Emmy nomination in 2018. She received the Philip Greer Memorial Award from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2014.
