More than 15 million people in Syria are currently in urgent need of health care, World Health Organization spokesperson Margaret Harris said on Thursday.

The organisation has been helping Syrians since the start of the war in 2011 and continues to provide humanitarian assistance, Harris said.

She added: ‘There are more than 15 million people in Syria in urgent need of health care, including millions of internally displaced Syrians.

She continued: ‘Most health facilities have been damaged, have exceeded their capacity to receive patients, or are simply underfunded.

She stressed that the World Health Organization has expanded the capacity of operating hospitals due to the large number of infected people in need of care.

On 8 December, Syrian factions took control of the capital Damascus after days of capturing other cities, ending 61 years of rule by the Baath Party and the Assad family in Syria.

Al-Sharaa announced the appointment of Mohammad al-Bashir as head of government, forming a new Syrian government to manage the transitional period.