Only Kurdistan Region of Iraq provided medical assistance – Autonomous Administration Health Board
Qamishli – North-Press Agency
Zana al-Ali
On Tuesday, the Health Board in al-Jazira region, northeastern Syria, said fhat some of those that promised them to provide medical aid have not fulfilled their promises, while the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq (KRG) "is the only one that has provided assistance" so far.
In a press conference held in Qamishli, Manal Muhammad, co-chair of the Health Board, said that al-Jazira region contains only 35 respirators and one PCR testing device, noting that they have an "urgent need" for such devices, since this number is insufficient to cope with the epidemic should it spread.
Muhammad called on the international community to assist in opening the joint border crossings with northeastern Syria and the sending of medical aid, a matter that was called for by Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a report published last April. The report demanded the UN Security Council and the Syrian government eliminate restrictions imposed on aid and supplies immediately.
Muhammad held the Syrian government responsible for the presence of two coronavirus cases in northeastern Syria, claiming that "these two cases were illegally smuggled" into al-Jazira region, as the Syrian government "did not close Qamishli Airport to arrivals."
On April 29th, the Health Board announced two new cases of coronavirus after results of the tests conducted for them by specialized medical teams came back positive.
The Health Board explained that periodic tests of the two cases are being conducted in light of the continuation of preventative and precautionary measures adopted by the Autonomous Administration to prevent the spread of the epidemic in the region.
The two infected people are currently being monitored by the medical teams. One of them is quarantined in their residence in the city of Hasakah and the other is in the Syrian-government run National Hospital in the city of Qamishli.
Last week, the Internal Security Forces (Asayish) imposed a home quarantine on 14 families in al-Omran neighborhood on the southern side of the city of Hasakah after confirming the infection of the two aforementioned cases.
The Health Board has prepared special quarantine centers in Qamishli and Hasakah, as well as the COVID-19 Hospital in Hasakah under the supervision of the Kurdish Red Crescent.
Earlier, the Autonomous Administration revealed the first death from COVID-19 infection after it was officially notified by the World Health Organization (WHO).