Syrians face disease and malnutrition in 'dire' humanitarian situation, UN warns

Unicef says Idlib province, which has struggled since last year's earthquake, is particularly vulnerable

A woman washes a child at a camp for displaced people near Sarmada in Syria's Idlib province. AFP

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Syrians are facing a “dire” humanitarian situation and are at risk of malnutrition and diseases such as cholera due to the lack of clean water, the United Nations warned on Saturday.

A Unicef official who visited camps for displaced people in the north-western region of Idlib on Friday said almost 14 years of war have taken their toll on health services, and called on the international community to “come together”.

Forces led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) launched their lightning offensive against the regime of Bashar Al Assad from Idlib. The fighting has exacerbated the humanitarian situation in an area that was also hit by an earthquake in February 2023, Salim Oweis, communications officer in the Middle East for the UN agency for children, told the BBC.

“I’ve been through some of the projects and some of the camps there. Honestly, there is some hope expressed by the parents and children that I met. However the situation is still dire,” Mr Oweis said. “After 14 years of continued war and violence, children and families have been rendered unable to provide for themselves and to reach basic services.”

“We're talking about a health system that has been really drained and damaged [so] that it couldn't really provide for the children when they needed it.

“We're talking about malnutrition that has spread because of poverty, because people couldn't provide bread to their children. We're talking about the spread of diseases like cholera due to the lack of clean water and sanitation. Really the situation is dire.”

Mr Owais said the people in the camps “are asking for help to rebuild their futures” in Syria. He added: “The international community needs to come together, and the leaders of the world to support and continue the support that started.

“We're working in Syria and … I think the priority right now, is to sustain the services and response that we already had, but to scale it up and find ways to reach all children around Syria.”

The plea for international humanitarian assistance comes as a UN envoy on Saturday urged foreign powers to work to avoid a collapse of vital Syrian institutions, less than a week after the Islamist-led rebels toppled the Assad regime.

Geir Pedersen, the UN's special envoy for Syria, also backed a “credible and inclusive” political process to form the next government when he met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as Arab, Turkish, EU and US diplomats gathered in the Jordanian Red Sea resort city of Aqaba for a conference on the crisis.

“We need to make sure that state institutions do not collapse, and that we get in humanitarian assistance as quickly as possible,” Mr Pedersen said. “If we can achieve that, perhaps there is a new opportunity for the Syrian people.”

Mr Blinken, on a trip in which he has met the leaders of Jordan, Turkey and Iraq, has repeatedly called for an “inclusive” process that reflects all the diverse ethnic and religious communities in Syria.

He said that the United Nations “plays a critical role” in humanitarian assistance and protecting minorities in Syria.