Today's top news: Syria

A woman in a white jackets adjusts a drip hooked to a seated woman.

A doctor treats a cancer patient in a hospital in Idleb, north-west Syria. OCHA/Ali Haj Suleiman

Syria

The first radiotherapy machine to treat cancer arrived in the country’s north-west Syria over the weekend.

This comes on the heels of advocacy efforts led by the UN and our health partners, with support from the Government of Türkiye.

This is a monumental step for cancer treatment in north-west Syria. Radiotherapy sessions are not available in local health facilities. Syrian cancer patients have been dependent on cross-border referrals to Türkiye, and this system was temporarily disrupted earlier this year due to the earthquakes.

The radiotherapy machine – which can provide more than 40 radiotherapy sessions a day – is now in the largest hospital in Afrin.

The hospital is making adjustments to meet the operational standards and safety requirements of a radiotherapy center. Once ready, the facility is expected to meet the needs of up to one-third of all cancer patients in north-west Syria.

Turkish health authorities are also providing support for one year, with Turkish technicians and oncologists operating the machine on-site and also training Syrian health workers.

Since the earthquakes struck, there has been an uptick in cancer cases reported. We need more support to expand access to local cancer treatment services, including in the Idleb governorate.