The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Severe medicines shortage | Medicines’ prices doubled amid warnings of health crisis in north-western Syria

The Doctors’ Union in northern Syria has issued today a statement warning of a health disaster due to the loss of medicines and the dramatic rise in prices, affecting the health security of citizens, especially those with chronic illnesses.

The union held the competent authorities full responsibility and called for controlling the prices of the medication and securing sufficient quantities of it by the appropriate means.

Meanwhile, the medicines’ prices have increased over the past period to more than 150% due to the rise of the U.S. dollar against the exchange rate of the Syrian pound. The prices have more than doubled due to the closure of crossings with regime-controlled areas.

The rate of increase in the medicines’ prices is more than 250%, while some of medicines’ prices have increased to more. 

In early May, reliable sources informed SOHR that several types of medicines, manufactured in Syria, were completely lost from pharmacies and warehouses, including medicines for blood pressure patients, aspirin, children’s nutritional supplements and some anti-inflammatory medicines.

The closure of crossings with the regime has led to loss of these medicines, and foreign medicines are used as an alternative, if available.

Moreover, the areas of north-western Syria are experiencing a severe shortage of medical supplies.

On the other hand, precautionary measures to tackle coronavirus are still insufficient, as hundreds of thousands of displaced persons are living in overcrowded camps, sharing the same bathrooms, drinking water from communal sources and using communal facilities and services, with little public health awareness which contributed to lack of self-prevention against the spread of the pandemic.