ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – In the absence of the international and governmental support, as well as the lack of medical equipment and trained medical staff, Afrin IDPs in Sardam camp, one of the camps located in the northern countryside of Aleppo, fear from the outbreak of coronavirus in their camps, after recording one infection there.
“We fear from the outbreak of coronavirus inside the camp, especially after many families and relatives came from Syrian government-held areas during Eid al-Adha,” Ahmad Oso who lives in Sardam camp told North Press.
“The tents are close to each other and full of the displaced, the matter increases our fears.”
“I cannot protect my family from coronavirus. We are 7 people in the tent, in case one of us infected with the virus, all of us will be infected,” Jihan Mustafa an IDP in the camp, told North Press.
The co-manager of Sardam camp, Farid Oso said that in order to prevent the spread of the virus, they started spraying the camp with smog pesticides, in addition to sterilizing bathrooms, sinks, and removing garbage daily.
“We work according to the available capabilities, no organization provided aid to us.”
The Health Board of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) said the number of the infections with the virus in Aleppo northern countryside reached 29 cases, including one death.
The co-chair of the Health Board in Aleppo northern countryside, Hevin Hussein, told North Press on Wednesday that due to the lack of capabilities, they are facing a big challenge in protecting people’s health and safety.
In a joint statement last week, the Kurdish Red Crescent in Aleppo northern countryside and the Human Rights Organization in Afrin appealed all countries, the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the UNICEF, and the International Red Cross to provide emergency medical aid and relief to reduce the spread of coronavirus and reduce the volume of humanitarian disaster that could befall on the region.
There are about 1,765 families/7,044 individuals of Afrin IDPs distributed in 5 camps in northern Aleppo: Awda, Barkhodan, Sardam, Shahba and Afrin, according to the latest statistic by the Social Affairs Board of the Autonomous Administration of Afrin region.
There is only one hospital in addition to 7 medical centers of the Kurdish Red Crescent in the northern countryside of Aleppo.
However, those centers lack medical equipment and professional medical staff.
(Reporting by Dejla Khalil; Editing by Juan Shkaki)