An American nonprofit organization has warned that health care in northern Syria is experiencing severe difficulties.

The New York-based Physicians for Human Rights nonprofit released a report in December 2021 on northern Syria’s health sector. The report details health care in territory controlled by Syrian rebel groups and Turkish-backed forces in northern Syria, as well as the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) territory in northeast Syria. Physicians for Human Rights conducted the research in late 2021. 

The report noted the continued effects of the Syrian civil war on health care in rebel and Kurdish territory. Syrian government forces backed by Russia are seeking to retake the Idlib province from rebel groups. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which is linked to al-Qaeda, is the major rebel group in Idlib. The Islamic State also continues to attack the SDF and Syrian government troops in eastern Syria. The SDF also sometimes clash with Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army groups. 

The doctors pointed to the Jabal al-Zawiya district in Idlib as an example of violence’s effect on the health care system. Health workers and nongovernmental organizations began to flee in 2018 due to security concerns. In September, Jabal al-Zawiya’s last remaining medical center was destroyed after an attack launched from territory controlled by the Syrian government and the SDF, per the report.