Emergencies in Syria: what to do

This page is not about vaccines and pharmacies; those are on the health page. The question here is narrower: when something goes wrong, what are the first three steps. In Syria the answer differs from what you are used to, because two links you normally rely on are missing from the chain.

Why the chain is short

The first missing link is the consulate. The UK Foreign Office states plainly that consular support is not available to its nationals from inside Syria, and gives one contact — London, on +44 20 7008 5000. Other countries differ, but do not set off assuming an embassy will be there.

The second missing link is the emergency service. The same source says emergency services in the country have been severely affected and may not respond when called. The numbers exist and are listed on the health page here, and they should not be your only fallback.

That leaves three real contacts: your insurer’s twenty-four-hour line, the owner of the place you are staying or your driver, and the person you left your plans with. An emergency plan means carrying those three numbers on you.

What you carry on your person

These live on you, not in the case. They fit on one sheet of paper, and a copy should sit on your phone as well.

• Copies of your passport photo page and your visa — you are required to carry them as identification.
• A photo of the entry stamp on your phone; hotels can keep the passport at reception.
• Your policy number and the insurer’s twenty-four-hour line.
• The name and phone number of your lodging, written in Arabic.
• One local number of someone who knows you: hotel owner, driver or guide.
• Emergency cash kept separately — cards do not work and there are no withdrawals.

If your passport is lost or stolen

The first step is the police and a written report; everything after that asks for the paper. The second is producing the copy and the stamp photo you carry, which speeds the report up considerably.

The third step is reaching your own country’s mission, and this is where it gets harder. For nationals of countries with no mission in Damascus, a replacement document usually has to be issued by the nearest mission in a neighbouring country, so the document and the exit become one tangled process. The current procedure varies — running it through your hotel, agency or guide is faster than doing it alone.

If you fall ill or are injured

Call your insurer the moment you are referred to a medical facility. This is not a formality: without prior approval the cost is routinely left outside cover, and payment in the country runs on cash.

The health system came out of the war badly. Some hospitals no longer operate and even basic medicines run short in spells. The practical consequence: in a serious case the question is not “which hospital” but “is evacuation needed”, and it is your policy that answers it.

For small things a pharmacy is a fast and widespread first stop. Showing the box of the medicine you take works better than saying its name.

If there is a road accident

Road safety is one of the country’s most concrete risks: poor maintenance, a high accident rate, and night driving dangerous on its own. This is why leaving in the morning for an intercity leg is not a comfort preference.

If there is a crash, do not move the vehicle and wait for the police. One legal fact is worth knowing in advance: a driver who hits a pedestrian is likely to be held responsible. A foreigner not being at the wheel is a precaution in itself.

If you are detained

This is unlikely and serious. The places where the risk rises are known: taking part in political activity, crowds and demonstrations, photographing what should not be photographed, and working as a journalist or researcher. Penalties for drug offences are severe — life imprisonment for possession, the death penalty for trafficking.

What to do is short. Do not argue, do not resist, do not raise your voice. Phones and cameras can be confiscated; delete a frame if you are asked to. Sign nothing written in a language you cannot read. Ask for someone to be informed, and say who should be called — which is why a local number needs to be memorised or in your pocket.

If you get lost or lose your phone

When the phone goes, it is not only the device: the map, the address, the numbers and the translation all go with it. So the precaution is on paper — the name and telephone of your lodging on a card, written in Arabic. A taxi driver reads the card, calls, and it is done.

If you are lost, the fastest fix is to walk into a shop. Traders know the area and have a phone. Avoid working it out in the dark: street lighting depends on the grid and cuts are daily, which is one more reason to finish the day before nightfall.