MANBIJ, Syria (North Press) – Muhammad complains of the disturbing sight of filth and brackish water in remote back streets of his neighborhood, especially because of the poisonous insects they attract, which put children at risk of leishmaniasis.
Muhammad Haj Ali, 56, a resident in the al-Sareb neighborhood in north Manbij, said the remote streets in his neighborhood are filled with brackish water that attracts children, as well ash flies and insects, which can cause diseases, especially leishmaniasis.
The people of Manbij complain about the spread of insects that cause diseases among the population, due to the accumulation of dirt and brackish water in some roads, especially as temperatures increased during the summer.
Haj Ali told North Press that the anti-leishmaniasis campaign launched by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) in Manbij “has not reached” his neighborhood.
The AANES Environment Directorate, affiliated with the People’s Municipality of Manbij launched a campaign to fight the sand flies in mid-May. These flies are responsible for transmitting the leishmaniasis disease.
Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease transmitted through the bites of sand flies, which feed on the blood of humans and animals. Its larvae grows on wet plants and animal corpses. The bites leave skin sores which develop into ulcers and grow rapidly on the skin.
He demanded the concerned authorities that carry out the anti-leishmaniasis campaign visit his neighborhood. He hopes that they will arrive soon.
Reem Mahmoud, 34, from Manbij, also complains about the filth, swamps, and unclean water in some neighborhoods.
“Nowadays leishmaniasis is spreading more with flies and mosquitos through contaminated water. Therefore, relevant authorities should focus on hygiene and the campaign should cover the whole city,” she told North Press.
Al-Mahmoud also demanded that the campaign against leishmaniasis be intesified, given the increasing cases in the past years, which sometimes lead to facial abnormalities.
Mahmoud al-Subhi, 63, from al-Sareb neighborhood in Manbij, believes the absence of a sewage drain in the neighborhood and the accumulation of contaminated water is responsible for the epidemic. Locals also suffer under a lacking health sector in Manbij and from missing or expensive medication.
Al-Subhi urges the relevant authorities in Manbij to intensify efforts to combat toxic insects and expedite the leishmaniasis campaign, which has not yet reached their neighborhood. He also emphasizes the importance of cleanliness to prevent the spread of disease among children.
Amina al-Jarah, 42, a resident of Manbij countryside, shares the same concerns as the city’s residents. The leishmaniasis campaign has not yet reached her village, in western Manbij.
She believes that the campaign is a “good and beneficial step for the residents of Manbij, especially considering the spread of leishmaniasis in the city and countryside.”
Alaa al-Mawas, the general supervisor of the campaign in Manbij, stated to North Press that the Environment Directorate, in coordination with a humanitarian organization in the city, has launched a campaign to combat the sand flies.
He added that the campaign started in mid-May and will include residential areas and homes in rural areas, based on medical and environmental priorities. The campaign will then move to areas in Manbij city where leishmaniasis is prevalent, as well as nearby villages and neighborhoods, such as al-Mankouba, al-Asadiyah, Hai, and al-Jaysh al-Shaabi in the south of the city.
Al-Mawas pointed out that the campaign has already concluded in the municipalities of Abu Qalqal and Mqataa Hajr Kabir, and has now started in the municipalities of al-Hayah, Tel Hawzan, and al-Farat.