In face of armed clashes, WHO urges protection of health care services in Syria

The head of the UN's World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday expressed concern over recent clashes between Syrian government forces and loyalists of ousted President Bashar Assad.

The clashes are "directly impacting people's health, as health facilities and ambulances have been damaged," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X.

The WHO is working to provide emergency medicines and trauma supplies for the injured, he added.

Tedros urged all parties involved to "respect and safeguard health services to ensure medical aid reaches those who need it most."

In recent days, the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus have seen heightened security tensions amid coordinated attacks by loyalists of the former Assad regime. These attacks, described as the most severe since the regime's fall in December, targeted security patrols, checkpoints, and hospitals, resulting in deaths and injuries.

In response, security and military forces launched sweeping operations to track down the attackers. The operations have led to fierce clashes, as government officials assert that the situation is moving toward full stability.

Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.

Ahmad al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period on Jan. 29.