After the government of Bashar Al-Assad collapsed in December 2024, thousands of people have returned to their homes, and now face massive challenges, including land contaminated with munitions, job shortages, economic struggles, and a lack of access to clean water and healthcare services.
“Daraya’s hospital, for example, was heavily damaged, and restoring it would require significant investment – something unlikely to happen in the near future,” says Khatab. “This means that the only real option for emergency and specialised medical care is in Damascus city centre, where services are already under significant strain.”
“The only functioning health centre in Daraya operates at a very limited capacity, offering just vaccinations, malnutrition treatment and basic medications for chronic diseases,” says Khatab.
In response, MSF started running activities in Daraya in March in partnership with the Directorate of Health. After renovating the health centre, the team is providing basic healthcare, including outpatient consultations, mental healthcare and sexual and reproductive healthcare, led by a doctor and a midwife.
MSF and the Directorate of Health have also opened a 24/7 emergency room to provide urgent care for people with trauma injuries and have established a referral system to hospitals in Damascus for patients needing more specialist care. All MSF’s services are free of charge.