Baladi News
European organisations have been cutting funding to medical centres in Idlib after opposition group Hayaat Tahrir Al-Shaam (HTS) consolidated its control over the northern Syrian province, according to local activists.
Medical authorities in Idlib and Hama have announced the start of voluntary work in over 40 health centres, after funding from European donors, particularly those from France and Germany, was suspended.
This week, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) announced on its website that it had ceased activities in Syria citing “recent political developments”. Sources on the ground also reported that GIZ’s partner agency, the Local Development Organisation (LDO), had also suspended some its projects for women in the areas of Hama, Idlib and Aleppo western countryside, presumably as a result of the cutbacks.
Blood banks, specialised hospitals and emergency departments are also believed to be affected, with health officials estimating that support has been suspended for more than 70 per cent of the hospitals in the Hama countryside; some 250 doctors, nurses and administrators are now working on a voluntary basis.
The cuts come after former Al-Qaeda affiliate HTS claimed victory over Turkey-backed National Liberation Front (NLF) forces, following nine days of infighting earlier this month.
Source: Middle East Monitor.