The cascading impacts of attacks on health in Syria: A qualitative study of health system and community impacts

Syria has experienced over a decade of armed conflict, characterised by targeted violence against healthcare. This study aims to explore the perspectives of health workers based in northern Syria who have experienced such attacks on health to understand the impacts on the health system as well as communities served.

The impacts of attacks on health in Syria are multiple, with both short- and long-term consequences for the health system(s) across Syria as well as the health of communities in these respective areas. Though such attacks against healthcare are illegal under international humanitarian law, this and other legal frameworks have led to little accountability in the face of such attacks both in Syria and elsewhere. Characterising their impacts is essential to improving our understanding of the consequences of attacks as a public health issue and supporting protection and advocacy efforts.