The first radiotherapy machine for cancer treatment has reached northwestern Syria with the support of the Turkish government, The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) announced in a statement.

Previously, cancer patients from Syria were being sent to Türkiye for treatment as there were no facilities for radiotherapy sessions in the region. This system was also interrupted earlier this year due to the earthquake.

Turkish health officials, technicians, and oncologists will offer one year of support for operating the radiotherapy machine and training Syrian healthcare workers, according to UNOCHA.

Having the capacity to conduct 40 radiotherapy sessions per day, the machine marks a "monumental" step for cancer treatment in northwestern Syria, the statement adds.

The statement also emphasised an increase in cancer cases in the region following the earthquakes in February, underscoring the need for more support to provide treatment equipment in local cancer treatment services.

The radiotherapy machine has been installed in the largest hospital in Afrin, and once fully operational, it could provide treatment to one-third of the cancer patients in the region.