3 January 2018 – The United Nations reproductive rights agency has reached the Sheikh Maqsoud area of Aleppo, where
thousands of women have been cut off from medical care for years.
The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said its mobile reproductive teams reached the area on 30 December, providing family
planning services, and antenatal and postpartum care to more than 80 women.
“Conflict typically puts these women and their babies at risk. Physical hardship and emotional trauma often complicate
delivery,” said Massimo Diana, UNFPA's Representative in Syria. “Health services are deteriorated after the seven years of crisis in
Syria, in addition to the limited supplies and high patient loads.”
One health facility is operational in Sheikh Maqsoud, serving an estimated 50 patients per day. According to UNFPA that
is “not sufficient to meet local needs, where about 3,000 women are estimated to be pregnant.”
The UN agency said the existing health facility is poorly equipped, with no capacity to perform Caesarean section
operations or other major surgeries. There is no ambulance available to transfer critical cases to hospitals outside the
area.
Humanitarian responders also noted that most roads are in disrepair and choked with mud, limiting access. The area also
lacks an operating electrical system, forcing the community to rely on generators and expensive fuel, when available.
In addition to lacking quality reproductive health care, humanitarian workers observed a large number of people living
with disabilities, including wheelchair users, as well as families in desperate need of warm clothing for the winter.