Hey Friend,

I’ll get straight to the point: We need the support of committed donors to fill funding gaps that are hampering our response to the water crisis in northern Syria.

Humanitarian aid funding for water and sanitation operations in Syria has dropped to less than one-third of what was spent last year for the same activities.

We have seen a worrying uptick in waterborne illnesses as a result, and current funding isn’t enough to cover all the needs. According to Teresa Graceffa, MSF medical coordinator for Syria, between the months of May and June 2021—which is the period when some of these activities were stopped—waterborne diseases increased by 47 percent.

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams have responded to the current shortage by providing water and sanitation services in about 90 camps across northwest Syria, as well as expanding existing health services to address the downstream effects of poor water quality—including malnutrition.

In addition to the ongoing water crisis, northern Syria is experiencing its most severe wave of COVID-19 yet. As of September, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases doubled in northwestern Syria—reaching nearly 73,000 cases compared to 39,000 recorded at the end of August. In response to the increased need, MSF reopened two COVID-19 isolation centers in Idlib governorate.

However, with severely limited health infrastructure, supply issues, and decreased funding, we desperately need supporters like you to help us provide care where it’s needed most, Friend.

The current crisis is the result of ten years of violent conflict, which has left the country’s infrastructure in shambles. The ongoing pandemic has only complicated matters further. As long as the war in Syria continues and COVID-19 remains a threat, our teams will continue to face these challenges.

We need your help to create lasting, sustainable solutions in these communities, Friend. Help us remain on the ground in Syria for as long as we’re needed, and provide lifesaving care in more than 70 other countries by making a generous, tax-deductible gift to MSF now.

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Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Vera Eastman
MSF-USA