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Syria to Receive Russian, Chinese COVID-19 Vaccines in April

Children wearing masks inside the classroom in one of Syria’s schools. (File photo: Reuters)
Children wearing masks inside the classroom in one of Syria’s schools. (File photo: Reuters)
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Syria to Receive Russian, Chinese COVID-19 Vaccines in April

Children wearing masks inside the classroom in one of Syria’s schools. (File photo: Reuters)
Children wearing masks inside the classroom in one of Syria’s schools. (File photo: Reuters)

The Chinese and Russian coronavirus vaccines are expected to arrive in Syria in April, announced the head of the Syrian Doctors Syndicate, Kamal Assad Amer.

Amer stated that the government has devised a plan to start administering the vaccine next April, and additional quantities will be ordered later if needed, based on the plan of the Health Ministry.

The plan aims to bring two million doses with a priority to the front liners, such as medical teams and doctors.

Over the past few months, authorities confirmed that 100 doctors had died after contracting the COVID-19 infection, while about 30 others died of various diseases or suspected coronavirus cases.

Most of the doctors who died were between 50 and 60 years old, with the majority of them in Damascus, Aleppo, and Homs, according to a previous statement issued by the Doctors Syndicate.

The statement also indicated that many medical staffers contracted the coronavirus and were treated inside the country, without specifying the exact number.

A week ago, the government approved a mechanism devised by the Health Ministry to import coronavirus vaccines.

Syria is one of the 92 countries that will receive the vaccines as part of an economic aid initiative launched by COVAX.

COVAX is a global initiative launched by the World Health Organization and the Vaccine Alliance to ensure rapid and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, targeting up to 20 percent of the world population in all member countries.

The program concluded agreements to access two billion doses of several vaccine candidates, provided that the first doses will start arriving in mid-February.

Earlier, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad expressed Damascus's hope to obtain the Russian vaccine for free when starting negotiations with Moscow to buy the vaccine.

The Syrian people have more confidence in Russian vaccines than Pfizer and other vaccines, he announced, adding: “We are confident that the Russian people are generous enough to take these aspects into consideration, especially amid the exceptional economic and social circumstances that Syria is going through.”

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Arab World

International, Local Bodies Warn of Impending Famine in Yemen

Funding shortfall in Yemen has increased the risk of food insecurity (EPA) 
Funding shortfall in Yemen has increased the risk of food insecurity (EPA) 
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International, Local Bodies Warn of Impending Famine in Yemen

Funding shortfall in Yemen has increased the risk of food insecurity (EPA) 
Funding shortfall in Yemen has increased the risk of food insecurity (EPA) 

A number of UN, international and local bodies said Yemen is again on the brink of widespread humanitarian disaster, characterized by accelerated hunger, widespread displacement, funding shortfall, in addition to worsening economic and climate pressures that are leaving millions in deeper levels of deprivation amid ongoing political and economic instability.

UN agencies and international organizations reveal that the crisis is no longer limited to food shortages, but includes a simultaneous threat to food, shelter and income, at a time when more than a decade of conflict and economic decline continue to erode the resilience of communities in Yemen.

A recent UN report indicates that approximately 5.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Yemen are among the most severely affected by the nation's food insecurity crisis.

The reports came while the Yemeni government plans to establish the High Commission for Relief and to organize several workshops that address issues related to overlapping authorities, as announced earlier by Minister of Local Administration, Badr Basalma.

The Minister’s plan focuses on organizing relief efforts between the central government and the liberated governorates to ensure aid reaches vulnerable populations through official channels.

In its latest assessment of food security in Yemen, the World Food Program (WFP) stated that the country continues to host the fifth largest internal displacement crisis globally, exacerbated by ongoing conflict and deteriorating economic and humanitarian conditions.

“With an estimated 5.2 million IDPs, Yemen remains the fifth largest internal displacement crisis in the world. WFP remote monitoring data revealed a relative improvement in the food security among surveyed IDPs in March 2026,” it said.

WFP also noted that food consumption gaps remain notably worse among IDPs compared to residents, particularly for those living in camps.

In March, it showed, around 39% of surveyed IDPs in Yemen experienced moderate to severe hunger, double the level recorded among residents.

This trend was more pronounced among IDPs in camps (50%) compared to community-based IDPs (34%). Additionally, 17% of surveyed IDPs nationwide reported at least one member spending an entire day and night without eating, more than double the rate among residents.

Compounding these vulnerabilities, WFP said nearly one-third of IDPs nationwide live in informal displacement sites as last resort, while 92% cannot afford rent and face eviction risk.

Last week, the Executive Unit for Managing Displacement Camps in Marib governorate reported a dire, looming humanitarian crisis threatening over a quarter of a million IDPs in the province after they faced the imminent threat of losing their rented homes due to severe economic deterioration, escalating living conditions, accumulated rental debts and lack of income sources.

It showed that the most affected groups include 118,000 women, 72,000 children, and 8,200 seniors, who may find themselves homeless in the coming months.

Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said last Tuesday that from January 1 to May 2, Yemen tracked 923 households (5,538 Individuals) who experienced displacement at least once, indicating that economic reasons and conflict remain the main drivers of new displacement.

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) estimated that the scale and severity of acute food insecurity are expected to remain high across Yemen through September.

It said outcomes of the Crisis, or the third level of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC 3), are expected to remain widespread, with Emergency (IPC Phase 4) outcomes persisting in Hodeidah, Hajjah, and Taiz.

Households most likely to face Emergency (IPC Phase 4) outcomes include those with minimal income sources, the displaced, and those with limited or no access to humanitarian assistance, the Network showed.

It said funding gaps remained substantial in 2025, with only 22% of food security and agriculture requirements funded, while coverage remained similarly low in nutrition (9%) and water, sanitation, and hygiene (22%).

 

Arab World

EU Ministers Agree to Lift the Sanctions on Syria's Interior and Defense Ministers

The EU added seven Syrian ministers to its sanctions list. (Reuters)
The EU added seven Syrian ministers to its sanctions list. (Reuters)
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EU Ministers Agree to Lift the Sanctions on Syria's Interior and Defense Ministers

The EU added seven Syrian ministers to its sanctions list. (Reuters)
The EU added seven Syrian ministers to its sanctions list. (Reuters)

European Union foreign ministers reached an agreement on Monday to lift the sanctions on ‌Syria's ‌interior and ‌defense ⁠ministers, EU's foreign ⁠chief Kaja Kallas said.

Earlier on Monday, EU foreign ⁠ministers had ‌already ‌agreed to restore ‌improved trade ‌ties with Syria, reinstating a cooperation agreement ‌that had been suspended in ⁠2011 ⁠when an uprising against then-leader Bashar al-Assad expanded into a 14-year civil war.

Arab World

Türkiye-Syria Border Gate to Reopen After 12-Year Closure

The crossing, which lies just over the border from Tal Abyad in northern Syria, was closed by Türkiye in 2014. (AP)
The crossing, which lies just over the border from Tal Abyad in northern Syria, was closed by Türkiye in 2014. (AP)
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Türkiye-Syria Border Gate to Reopen After 12-Year Closure

The crossing, which lies just over the border from Tal Abyad in northern Syria, was closed by Türkiye in 2014. (AP)
The crossing, which lies just over the border from Tal Abyad in northern Syria, was closed by Türkiye in 2014. (AP)

One of the border crossings between Türkiye and Syria is to reopen on Tuesday, ending a 12-year closure, local officials said Monday.

The reopening of the Akcakale crossing, which sits roughly in the middle of Türkiye's 900-kilometer (550-mile) border with Syria, is the latest step in Damascus's move towards normalization with its neighbors.

The crossing, which lies just over the border from Tal Abyad in northern Syria, was closed by Türkiye in 2014 after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) took over the town following the defeat of the ISIS group.

Türkiye has long viewed the SDF as linked to the Kurdish militant PKK and a major threat along its southern border.

It was partially reopened in 2019 for trade, funerals and the crossing of government officials after a Turkish military operation against ISIS and Kurdish fighters.

The decision will now mean the crossing is open to civilians.

"In light of the normalization of life in the region... entry and exit procedures using passports to and from the Syrian Arab Republic via the Akcakale Land Border Crossing will start on Tuesday," the Sanliurfa governor's office said in a statement.

The move will mean six of the 12 crossings between Türkiye and Syria will be open.

Türkiye has forged close ties with Syria's new rulers, with President Ahmed al-Sharaa joining a diplomacy forum in Türkiye's southern Antalya resort in April.