High Premature Mortality Rates Among Young People: Mortality rates among young people (20-40 years) in Syria have continued to rise, reaching 14 per 1,000 compared to 4 per 1,000 before 2011.
Causes of Premature Death Among Young People: The main causes of sudden and premature death among young people include psychological stress, uncontrolled diets, lack of regulation over medication sales, and the spread of drugs, particularly Captagon.
Increased Infant Mortality: The Syrian war led to the deaths of nearly 4,500 additional infants from 2011 to 2019, highlighting the scale of the devastation and its catastrophic health impacts on children.
High Infant Mortality Rates: Before the war, infant mortality was expected to drop to 16 per 1,000 live births, but due to the war, the rate increased to 21.5 per 1,000 live births in 2019.
Percentage of Families Below Poverty Line in Northwestern Syria Rises to 91.18%
Stunting and Malnutrition Among Children: UNICEF estimates that more than 609,900 children under the age of five are stunted in Syria, which increases their risk of death and chronic health disorders.
A source informed Syria TV that “forensic medicine, which operates in parallel with the burial office, attributed the causes of sudden and early death—now the leading cause of death among young people—to immense psychological pressures. Secondary factors include poor diet control, lack of regulation over medication sales, and the spread of drugs, particularly Captagon addiction.”
The source also noted that these figures do not include deaths resulting from murders, accidents, or torture in Syrian regime prisons.
According to UN reports studying countries with prolonged wars, such as Syria, deaths unrelated to military actions among young people in Syria were expected to decrease. However, they have instead increased, raising concerns about a future surge in “general” mortality due to the collapse of the health and economic sectors, the food system, and the long-term health and psychological consequences of the conflict, such as displacement.
It is worth noting that Washington emphasized that U.S. sanctions on the Syrian regime do not target the provision of humanitarian goods, including medicines, medical supplies, and food to Syria. The U.S. sanctions program on the Syrian regime provides permits, exemptions, and general licenses for humanitarian aid.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
