Lack of vaccines threatens thousands of children with serious illnesses in Kobani
Kobani – North-Press Agency
Fattah Issa – Fayyad Muhammad
The Turkish aggression on northeastern Syria, and the control of Turkish-backed armed groups on parts of the M4 highway which links the city of Kobani with al-Jazira region, have reduced children's vaccines which in turn threatens them with serious diseases. As most of the vaccines and medicines were reaching the city of Kobani via Semalka border-crossing with Kurdistan Region of Iraq to al-Jazira region, provided by international humanitarian and medical organizations.
Kurdish Red Crescent running out of vaccines
Zarifa Mustafa, a mother of seven, said she was told that the vaccines were not available, every time she was visiting (the Kurdish Red Crescent Center). Zarifa Mustafa called on the humanitarian organizations to provide vaccines for children, especially since most of the people cannot afford to visit the clinics of doctors. The co-chair of the Kurdish Red Crescent in the Euphrates region, Laila Najati, said that the city's residents have been complaining for months about the lack of vaccines, pointing out that the Kurdish Red Crescent has applied to MSF to provide the vaccines as it used to do before the Turkish military invasion of northeastern Syria.
Impact of M4 highway closure
Laila Najati added that the closure of M4 highway between Kobani and al-Jazira region, northeastern Syria, upon the Turkish aggression, has negatively affected the arrival of vaccines to the city, noting that there are quantities of these vaccines which arrived in the city of Derik (Malikiya), and will arrive next week to Kobani. Ms. Najati emphasized that the vaccination campaigns in the region were supported by the UNICEF and WHO, but it had been discontinued for nearly two years in the region due to a general lack of vaccines.
Risk of losing vaccines
The co-chair of the Kurdish Red Crescent in the Euphrates region, Laila Najati added that children in the region are at risk of polio, measles and other diseases, unless the vaccines are provided as soon as possible, since they are essential vaccines for children in general.
Soon-to-be promises of vaccines
The co-chair of the Heath Authority in the Euphrates region Mahmoud Ahmad, said that there are promises by the concerned authorities that in case of any comprehensive vaccination campaign for children in Syria, it will be implemented in Kobani and Ein Issa as well.
It is worth mentioning that the Kurdish Red Crescent has vaccinated about 45 thousand children against polio in the Euphrates region, in November 2018, in coordination with the Health Authority and the support of the World Health Organization (WHO).