Cholera outbreak faced via limited measures in Aleppo’s countryside
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – Measures to protect students of the northern countryside of Aleppo Governorate, north Syria, against the risk of cholera remain limited in light of ongoing siege by Syrian government forces and lack of support provided to the area.
On October 26, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that more than 24.000 suspected cholera cases and more than 80 deaths recorded across Syria, in addition to reporting confirmed cases in all governorates.
Tens of thousands of IDPs from the city of Afrin, north of Aleppo, live in Aleppo northern countryside after Turkey and Turkish-backed armed Syrian opposition factions took control of the city of Afrin and its countryside in 2018.
Subhi al-Ahmad, co-chair of Education Board in Aleppo countryside, affiliated with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), told North Press they have carried out some preventative measures in 70 schools in the area, five of which are in the camps.
He added that they distributed detergents to schools, including chlorine, soaps and hand wash.
The co-chair added that they held meetings with teachers to educate them about how to prevent the spread of the disease among students and to focus on taking care of personal hygiene.
Since the beginning of the new academic year, he went further saying, the area has suffered from a crisis due to a siege imposed by the government forces’ Fourth Armored Division, in addition to the lack of first aid.
He also criticized the almost complete absence of international health organizations in the region, saying, “during the spread of Coronavirus pandemic, we suffered and recorded deaths due to neglecting this region, which is full of IDPs.”
“With the approach of winter, the extreme cold, the ongoing siege, and the prevention of fuel entry to the area, we will be forced to stop work-hours, as we are unable to secure diesel for transportation or heating,” he added.
There are 15.000 students studying in that area, 2.000 of which study in the abovementioned camps and 13.000 students are in the middle school.
Al-Ahmad urged all authorities concerned with childhood and the UN to intervene quickly and end the siege, and to allow the access of heating, relief, and medical and health supplies into the area.