For Immediate Release:

Media Contact:

Lucy Carradine, [email protected]

One Year Since Fall of Assad Regime, MedGlobal Calls for Rebuilding Syria’s Health System and Supporting Released Detainees

As Syria marks a year since the collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime, MedGlobal is working intensively to support the full recovery of the Syrian healthcare system and the Syrian people. That work includes international medical missions to help train and support Syrian healthcare workers, running health clinics in refugee camps for those who remain displaced, providing medical equipment directly to hospitals, and implementing a major program focused on mental health care for hundreds of former detainees.

In Homs, Syria, hundreds of recently released detainees are participating in MedGlobal’s effective mental health treatments, which provide psychosocial support to improve former detainees’ reintegration into families and communities. After seven sessions, participants in the program have reported significant improvements in depression, anxiety, and traumatic stress symptoms. Participants’ overall severity of depression dropped by 37%, anxiety by 36%, and PTSD by 22%. The number of participants at a clinical level of depression fell by 60%, anxiety by 51%, and PTSD by 31%.

As more than 20,000 formerly detained persons were released from prison over the past year, MedGlobal aims to expand this groundbreaking treatment program to other regions across Syria, delivering mental health and psychosocial support to an underserved, highly vulnerable population, while contributing to the rebuilding of Syria’s mental health system.

“While the old regime is gone, the long-term effects on the Syrian people of decades of repression and conflict will continue to linger for a long time,” said Anas Barbour, MedGlobal’s country representative for Syria. “We are proud to work tirelessly to help restore the Syrian healthcare system to full capacity, and to pioneer transformative mental health care for hundreds of former political prisoners who deserve strong support to reintegrate into their families and communities.”

MedGlobal urges the international community to increase humanitarian assistance and do more to help rebuild Syria’s shattered healthcare infrastructure. A systematic approach to remapping resources and services is critical to ensuring that all Syrians, including the large population of returnees, have adequate access to healthcare, nutrition support, and mental health care going forward.

“At the moment when Syria is best poised to break the cycle of crisis, greater support is urgently needed. The humanitarian response received a mere 30% of required aid this year — its lowest level in a decade. But humanitarian needs did not evaporate with the change in power. Hospitals, schools, roads and entire cities remain destroyed and millions continue to grapple with trauma,” said Anastasia Moran, MedGlobal’s Advocacy Director. “This is not the time to ease off; it is the time to accelerate. Syria’s recovery and self-sufficiency is within reach, but only if the international community acts decisively. A donor conference in early 2026 is essential to galvanize support for the humanitarian response and longer-term recovery, including the rebuilding of the health system. Remaining blanket sanctions must also be finally lifted, including the U.S. Caesar Act, to enable full recovery for millions of Syrians.”

MedGlobal’s president and co-founder is Syrian-American Dr. Zaher Sahloul. Dr. Sahloul is the past president of the Syrian-American Medical Society, co-founded the American Relief Coalition for Syria, and has received numerous awards honoring his humanitarian work in the country.

About MedGlobal

MedGlobal is an international medical NGO dedicated to providing emergency response and sustainable healthcare to vulnerable communities worldwide. MedGlobal works to deliver care, train local providers, and amplify the voices of those most impacted by crises, ensuring that the principles of justice and dignity guide humanitarian response.

The Honorable President Donald J. Trump
President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

The Honorable Marco Rubio
Secretary of State
U.S. State Department
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20037

The Honorable Scott Bessent 
Secretary of the Treasury 
U.S. Department of the Treasury 
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW 
Washington, DC 20220

We, the undersigned organizations, call on the Trump administration to use U.S. President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to the Middle East to take meaningful steps to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people and support regional efforts to stabilize and rebuild Syria. This visit—his first to the region since returning to office—presents a critical opportunity for the U.S. to lift or suspend sanctions, which continue to punish the Syrian people and hinder reconstruction, humanitarian aid, and prospects of economic recovery. The time has come for decisive action to empower Syrians to rebuild their lives. 

Syria today is at a critical juncture. Syrians have endured fourteen years of brutal war and five decades of dictatorship. The fall of the Assad regime marked a major turning point. Many hoped it would create a long-awaited chance for refugees to return home, rebuild shattered communities, and reclaim their futures. U.S. sanctions played an important role in isolating the Assad regime and condemning its atrocities. However, these same sanctions are now unintentionally blocking recovery across Syria. 

Across the region, U.S. allies are stepping up to address Syria’s humanitarian crisis and support early reconstruction. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Türkiye, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt have signaled a growing interest in opening a pathway to recovery—one that cannot fully function while U.S. sanctions remain in place. Regional partners, UN and aid agencies, civil society, and the private sector increasingly echo what many Syrians have long argued: rebuilding is impossible without the removal of outdated sanctions that hinder progress toward economic revitalization and reliable public services.

Although the Assad regime is no longer in power, U.S. sanctions—originally designated to isolate it—are now hindering efforts to deliver aid, rebuild destroyed infrastructure, and revive basic economic activity across the country. Hospitals lack vital equipment. Power grids are broken. Water systems remain in disrepair. Aid agencies and Syrian entrepreneurs face overwhelming barriers in moving funds, importing supplies, or investing in recovery. The result is a persistent humanitarian crisis, a severe liquidity shortage, and stalled progress battered by years of war. 

Continued failure to reverse deteriorating conditions and stabilize the economy risks undermining public confidence in transitional state institutions and fueling social tensions that could destabilize the transition itself. A successful transition, by contrast, could reverse these conditions, stabilize the country, and enable the emergence of an effective, unified, and accountable state—one that allows Syrians to return and rebuild, ensures the rights and protection of all Syrians, and reduces threats from nonstate actors. This would reduce the risk of power vacuums that threaten both Syrians and their neighbors. However, if recovery is undermined by the inability to attract investment, pay public salaries, and restore critical infrastructure, public confidence in the new interim government may collapse—risking exposing Syrians to yet another cycle of violence. 

President Trump now has a rare chance to position the United States as a leader in shaping Syria’s future. Tens of millions could benefit from a shift in policy. Regional partners are calling for support and cooperation. But they cannot move forward without the United States. The current sanctions regime remains a key barrier to progress. Now is the time to recalibrate U.S. policy in a way that would make America safer, more secure, and more prosperous. Further, the U.S. risks falling behind the international community’s actions if it does not take immediate action to ease Syria’s sanctions. The EU, UK, Canada, and Switzerland have all already taken steps to do so. 

An end to sanctions, and legal clarity around engaging Syria’s financial sector and state institutions will allow the Syrian private sector, civil society, and NGOs to gain access to resources independently, positioning them to more effectively push for more inclusive reforms and build a more representative government for all Syrians. Lifting sanctions would also position U.S. businesses to play a key role in reconstruction, offering ample investment and trade opportunities which could strengthen the long-term relationship between the United States and the Syrian people. 

We echo and support the recent bipartisan letters from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, which urge the administration to expand and extend sanctions relief tools—including waivers and general licenses—to enable recovery efforts in Syria. These recommendations reflect a growing understanding in Congress that maintaining rigid sanctions risks prolonging civilian suffering and undermining stability, both for Syria and its neighbors. Despite the significant progress other countries have made in easing Syria’s sanctions, easing U.S. sanctions are the only sure way to secure the country’s future. President Trump has the opportunity to reinforce that message and act on it during this visit.

We therefore call on President Trump to:

1. Announce a lifting or pause of U.S. sanctions that currently discourage investment and obstruct financial transactions, access to humanitarian aid, early recovery, and essential services—including healthcare, housing, water, electricity, infrastructure, and agriculture.
2. Publicly support and work with regional efforts to open a coordinated window for Syria’s recovery—especially those led by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Türkiye and other U.S. partners committed to stabilizing the country through principled and monitored reconstruction initiatives.
3. Instruct the Department of the Treasury to renew and expand general licenses for economic recovery and commercial activity in Syria, and provide clear compliance guidance for financial institutions, humanitarian actors, and responsible investors seeking to support Syria’s post-conflict recovery. These steps should bolster confidence among financial institutions, aid organizations, and international partners. Updated guidance should also clarify that “Syria’s governing institutions are distinct from designated entities.” 
4. Initiate a broader policy review of the current sanctions frameworkassessing how other designations and restrictions intersect with or impede sanctions relief to ensure that U.S. measures align with strategic objectives and humanitarian imperatives in a post-Assad context.

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help guide Syria—and the wider region—toward a more stable and hopeful future. Success will bring stability to Syria and its neighbors while strengthening US national security. 

We urge President Trump to act boldly and urgently, in close coordination with regional allies, to realign U.S. policy in support of Syria’s recovery. The United States should demonstrate leadership by removing obstacles to recovery and standing with the Syrian people in their pursuit of peace and a viable future. 

Signatories:

Access Center for Human Rights (ACHR)
Action for Sama
Administrative Development Center
American Coalition for Syria (ACS)
Association of Victims of Chemical Weapons
Big Heart Foundation
Caesar Families Association
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Child Guardians
Dar Justice
Deirna Nexus
Do Not Suffocate The Truth Campaign
EPISA
EuroMed Rights Network
FairSquare
Families for Freedom Movement
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Frontliners For Change (FFC)
Global Justice, Inc.
Hand in Hand for Aid and Development (HIHFAD)
Hope Revival Organization (HRO)
Human Rights Watch (HRW)
Humanitarian Care Charity
Impunity Watch
IYD International Humanitarian Relief Association
Justice et Développement Durable
Karam Foundation
Mazaya Women’s Organization
MedGlobal
MIDMAR
Molham Volunteering Team
Observatory of Political and Economic Networks
Olive Branch Organization
Refugees International (RI)
Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS)
Sadad Humanitarian Organization
SKT Organization
Souryana Al Amal
Syria Justice and Accountability Centre (SJAC)
Syrian American Alliance for Peace and Prosperity (SAAPP)
Syrian American Council (SAC)
Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM)
Syrian Computer Society (SCS)
Syrian Forum
Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR)
Syrian Welsh Society
The Syria Campaign
The Syrian British Consortium (SBC)
The Syrian Legal Development Programme (SLDP)
The Tahrir Institute For Middle East Policy (TIMEP)
The White Helmets
Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations-USA (UOSSM)
Un Ponte Per (UPP)
We Are Up to the Challenge (نحنا قدها)
Woman Support Association
Youth Empower Platform
ZOA International
ZOOM IN Organization 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 10, 2024

MEDIA CONTACT: Logan Bayroff, West End Strategy Team

[email protected]; 516-965-5159

MedGlobal Calls for Increased Humanitarian Aid to the Whole of Syria Amidst Transformative Developments 

International humanitarian aid organization MedGlobal has provided critical medical aid in Syria since 2017; remains committed to addressing urgent healthcare needs in the face of escalating insecurity

As Syria undergoes a monumental political transition following the collapse of the Assad government, MedGlobal anticipates major ongoing humanitarian needs for the foreseeable future. The international humanitarian community will need to address the disruption of health services, the accelerated return of refugees and internally displaced people to their cities and villages, and the severe shortage of medical supplies, medications, and medical equipment in public hospitals throughout Syria. Over the past decade, the war in Syria has brought the public health system near collapse – and tremendous efforts will now be needed to help restore it.

Syrian-American Dr. Zaher Sahloul is the president and co-founder of MedGlobal. He is the past president of the Syrian-American Medical Society, co-founded the American Relief Coalition for Syria, and has received numerous awards honoring his humanitarian work in the country.  

Dr. Sahloul issued the following statement on the momentous events in Syria:

“The fall of the Assad regime is a moment of significant and transformative political and historical change. While this turns a page in the history of the Syrian people, it is also a reminder of the immense suffering, destruction, displacement, and oppression they have endured over the course of many years. The healthcare system is near collapse. Health facilities have been devastated, millions have been displaced, and so many are in dire need of medical care and humanitarian support. 

As large populations of displaced people remain on the move within the country and many refugees are expected to return, the Syrian people will need and must receive sustained international support to help them overcome these struggles and chart a course toward a better future. Humanitarian efforts must be directed to support all hospitals and restore medical care capacity throughout Syria.” 

Dr. Sahloul has led more than 25 medical missions to Syria over the past 13 years. “There is an urgent need to remove any sanction or obstacles that may impede lifesaving humanitarian and medical support,” he said. 

MedGlobal urges the international community to increase humanitarian assistance and help rebuild Syria’s shattered healthcare infrastructure – and is prepared to play a significant role in this critical effort. A systematic approach to remapping resources and services will be critical in ensuring that returnees and all Syrians have adequate access to healthcare and nutrition support. 

Dr. Zaher Sahloul is available for interviews about the events in Syria, the humanitarian challenges there, and his perspective as a Syrian-American with decades of experience providing direct humanitarian support in the country. 

Contact Logan Bayroff at [email protected] to arrange an interview. 

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MedGlobal is a humanitarian nonprofit organization that provides emergency response and health programs to build resilience among vulnerable communities around the world.