WHO - World Health Organization

Published purpose

February 2014 - The humanitarian situation in Syria continues to deteriorate as a result of the civil war in the country. The United Nations estimates that more than 130,000 people have been killed, with hundreds of thousands more wounded, due to the violence. Within Syria, some 9.3 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, 6.5 million of whom are internally displaced. In addition, over 2.4 million Syrian refugees are registered and living in host countries in the region. Women and children are particularly vulnerable to the impact of the conflict and host countries are increasingly overstretched by the influx of affected people needing assistance. With the support of DFATD and other donors, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting urgent primary health care, nutrition supplements and trauma care in Syria. Activities include: (1) containing the current polio epidemic and preventing the spread of the disease to other countries in the region; (2) managing severe acute malnutrition; and (3) strengthening the level of preparedness for, and management of injuries, for Syrians in need of trauma care.