Friend: Today marks 10 years since Syria began its descent into all-out war. Almost 12 million people—half of the country’s pre-war population—have been displaced inside and outside Syria. Many vulnerable people are living in overcrowded camps in Idlib province, where they are still forced to endure regular violence.

Chahine Ziadeh and his family were forced to flee after an artillery attack on their hometown in 2016. They travelled from one displacement camp to another before finally settling in Fan Al-Shemali in Idlib. “Life is tragic here,” he says, “and it is only getting worse.”

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams were on the ground in Fan Al-Shemali camp in 2020 to help residents like Chahine prepare for a harsh winter, and have provided medical care and support to people in Syria since the war began.

Together with our local partners, MSF staff have provided care to vulnerable people in different parts of the country under extreme conditions throughout the conflict. When security conditions limit our physical presence, we’ve provided remote training, technical advice, and funding assistance.

The response to this humanitarian crisis has been a monumental, ongoing effort that simply wouldn’t be possible without support from this global community. Here’s a snapshot of some of the lifesaving care you helped MSF provide in Syria in 2019 alone.

Learn more about the difficult lives of the vulnerable people behind these statistics, and how MSF is responding to the ongoing crisis, here.

The numbers above represent only a fraction of the work that was made possible by the generosity of our donors. Since 2011, our teams have run or supported hospitals and health centers in areas where they can get access, and provided remote support where they cannot. That includes donations of medicines and medical equipment, remote training of medical staff, technical advice, and financial assistance to cover facilities’ running costs.

The ongoing conflict, relentless attacks on hospitals, and new dangers created by the COVID-19 pandemic have shattered the country’s once strong health system. Last year we partnered with local groups in northern Syria to help staff and supply COVID-19 wards at health centers. Thanks to your support, we have also been able to provide vital medical care and COVID-19 testing for people most at risk who were forced from their homes and living in displacement camps.

Our teams will continue to go where they’re needed and do whatever it takes to help people affected by the ongoing conflict. Even after a decade, the emergency continues. Learn more about the lives of Syrians caught in conflict.

P.S. The best way to support our efforts in Syria and conflict zones around the world is by making a gift to MSF.