Saudi Arabia to Support Syria’s Healthcare Sector

Saudi delegation inspects hospital in Damascus to assess healthcare situation and identify needs (SANA)
Saudi delegation inspects hospital in Damascus to assess healthcare situation and identify needs (SANA)
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Saudi Arabia to Support Syria’s Healthcare Sector

Saudi delegation inspects hospital in Damascus to assess healthcare situation and identify needs (SANA)
Saudi delegation inspects hospital in Damascus to assess healthcare situation and identify needs (SANA)

Saudi Arabia’s air bridge has delivered 730 tons of food, medical supplies, and shelter to Syria. Meanwhile, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) announced that over 3,000 Saudi medical professionals have signed up for its “Amal” (Hope) program.
This initiative aims to support Syria’s healthcare system and address urgent needs in over 20 specialties.
Volunteer medical staff will be sent to Syria after a field assessment of the country’s healthcare facilities. A Saudi delegation is currently visiting hospitals and medical centers in Syria as part of a plan developed in coordination with the Syrian Ministry of Health.
A team from KSrelief recently visited the University Children’s Hospital in Damascus to assess its needs, accompanied by Syrian Ministry of Health officials.
This visit is part of a wider assessment, which has already covered more than ten hospitals and medical centers in Syria to identify needs for staff, equipment, and supplies.
In urgent aid efforts, a Saudi land convoy crossed the border from Jordan to Syria on Sunday, delivering heavy medical equipment, such as MRI machines, X-ray and CT scan devices, which cannot be transported by air.
It also carried essential medications like antibiotics, anesthetics, and surgical supplies. These will be distributed across Syria to support hospitals and medical centers affected by the ongoing crisis.
Dr. Samer Al-Jutaili, KSrelief’s spokesperson, said the 730 tons of aid delivered by air and land bridges will reach all accessible areas in Syria.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, he explained that the center’s plan to stabilize Syria’s food security and healthcare sectors was developed after meetings and ongoing field visits to assess the situation. The goal is to help Syria reach an early recovery phase.

 



Qatar PM Says Gaza Ceasefire Talks Make Some Progress

FILE PHOTO: The minaret of the Great Omari Mosque, which was hit in previous Israeli strike during the war, stands damaged in Gaza City, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The minaret of the Great Omari Mosque, which was hit in previous Israeli strike during the war, stands damaged in Gaza City, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo
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Qatar PM Says Gaza Ceasefire Talks Make Some Progress

FILE PHOTO: The minaret of the Great Omari Mosque, which was hit in previous Israeli strike during the war, stands damaged in Gaza City, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The minaret of the Great Omari Mosque, which was hit in previous Israeli strike during the war, stands damaged in Gaza City, March 17, 2025. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo

Qatar's prime minister said on Sunday that efforts to reach a new ceasefire in Gaza have made some progress but an agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the war remains elusive.

"We have seen on Thursday a bit of progress compared to other meetings yet we need to find an answer for the ultimate question: how to end this war. That's the key point of the entire negotiations," said Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who also serves as foreign minister, Reuters reported.

Mossad Director David Barnea traveled to Doha on Thursday to meet Sheikh Mohammed amid efforts to reach a new ceasefire in Gaza, Axios reported last week.

Sheikh Mohammed didn't say which elements of the ceasefire talks had progressed in recent days, but said Hamas and Israel remained at odds over the ultimate goal of negotiations.

He said the militant group is willing to return all remaining Israeli hostages if Israel ends the war in Gaza. But Israel wants Hamas to release the remaining hostages without offering a clear vision on ending the war, he said.

"When you don't have a common objective, a common goal between the parties, I believe the opportunities (to end the war) become very thin," Sheikh Mohammed said at a press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

Fidan said talks Turkish officials have held with Hamas had shown the group would be more open to an agreement that goes beyond a ceasefire in Gaza and aims for a lasting solution to the crisis with Israel, including a two-state solution.

Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza on March 18 after a January ceasefire collapsed, saying it would keep up pressure on Hamas until it frees the remaining hostages still held in the enclave. Up to 24 of them are believed to still be alive.

The Gaza war started after Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack. Since then, Israel's offensive on the enclave killed more than 51,400, according to local health officials.