WHO reports 56.879 cholera suspected cases in Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Monday that cholera cases in all Syrian governorates have risen, with 56.879 suspected cases, including 98 deaths between August 25 and December 3.
The organization reported that 1.846 confirmed cases have been recorded out of 4.174 samples tested with rapid diagnostic tests. In addition, the WHO recorded 771 confirmed cases of Vibrio Cholera out of 2.237 stool samples have been tested.
The report read that 4.579 suspected cases and six deaths were recorded in IDP camps in northeast and northwest Syria.
The most affected governorates are Deir ez-Zor with 19.430 suspected cases, Idlib with 12.113 ones, Raqqa with 11.998, and Aleppo with 10.501.
On October 18, the UN attributed the rise in cholera cases in Syria to severe decline in Euphrates River water level, drought-like conditions, and people recourse to unsecured water sources.
Turkey has been holding water of the Euphrates within its territory since 2020 amid warns that a humanitarian catastrophe is to face the region soon especially with the river declining to record levels.
In addition, since October 2019, Turkey and its affiliated armed opposition factions, also known as Syrian National Army (SNA), have controlled the Alouk water pumping station, following its invasion of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain) and Tel Abyad in the same month.
Since then, Turkey has cut off water to Hasakah for 27 times, according to official statements by officials of Autonomous Administration of north and East Syria (AANES).