WHO warns of a cholera outbreak in Syria with over 900 possible cases and eight deaths so far
The outbreak began three weeks ago and is likely to threaten the whole region, beginning in Aleppo and Deir al-Zour provinces. Contaminated water from the Euphrates River is blamed. War and climate change are other risk factors. Expert calls for “swift and urgent” action.
Damascus (AsiaNews) – Over the past three weeks, Syria reportedly saw its first cholera outbreak in years, something that is posing a serious threat to whole country and the region.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed the new health crisis in a country whose healthcare system has virtually collapsed after more than a decade of war.
The outbreak is centred on the provinces of Aleppo and Deir al-Zour with at least 936 possible cases and at least eight related deaths.
Unsafe water from the Euphrates River used for human consumption and irrigation is blamed.
According to experts, the outbreak highlights the serious shortage of drinking water in the country, resulting from war but also the devastating impact of climate change in the Middle East.
Rising temperatures, well below average rainfall, a reduced flow upstream from the Turkish section of the Euphrates, and poorly maintained infrastructures have contributed to the situation.
As a result, five million people who depend on water from the Euphrates for personal use and irrigation have been left without water.
On Monday, the Syrian health ministry confirmed 20 cases of cholera (out of 670), including two deaths, in Aleppo province, the SANA news agency reported. Four more cases were recorded in Latakia province and two in Damascus among patients from Aleppo. Some 201 cases were reported in Deir al-Zour province.
Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholera. In severe cases, the disease can kill within hours if left untreated.
"The outbreak presents a serious threat to people in Syria and the region," said Imran Riza, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria. "Swift and urgent action is needed to prevent further illness and death.”
Until recently, no cases of cholera had been reported in Syria since 2009. Now, according to the latest estimates, at least five of the country’s 14 provinces are affected.
UNICEF data show that at least half of Syria’s population relies on unsafe water sources, while 70% of sewage goes untreated.
Worldwide, the disease affects between 1.3 and four million people each year, killing between 21,000 and 143,000.
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26/06/2017 09:29
