Absence of effective solutions with spread of rodents and trash among ruins of Aleppo
Aleppo-Ali Aga-North Press Agency
In the south of Aleppo city, Salah al-Din’s residents complain about the accumulation of rubble and trash in the streets, as well as inside abandoned buildings and destroyed shops, which has led to rodents spreading among houses amid the absence of hygiene measures during the coronavirus outbreak.
Large parts of the city were damaged during battles between armed opposition groups and Syrian government forces in the east and south of Aleppo, until the latter regained control of the district in 2016, and residents started to return gradually despite widespread destruction.
Due to the high temperature and the spread of garbage in the streets because of the lack of garbage containers, the number of rodents increased.
Carpenter and Aleppo resident Bakry al-Atar told North-Press that "he is intending to get out of the area to a cleaner one, escaping from the spread of rodents and mice there.”
Lama Shraf said that her house was surrounded by ruins and rubbish in the district, which became a house for rodents and mice. This caused the spread of injuries among children in particular.
She added, “my child was bitten by rats that caused him to fall ill."
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals, usually caused by the Leptospira bacteria found in animal urine and infected animal tissue, as well as polluted water.
The head of Hygiene Department Khalil Abhaji said that their workers do not have the right to enter these areas during their work time. “Workers are not allowed to work inside destroyed buildings or shops when the owners are not present, as they are considered private properties.”
Aleppo leads 16 of the most affected Syrian cities due to clashes and heavy shelling in Syria in recent years. The number of destroyed buildings reached about 36,000, according to a survey conducted by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).
Abhaji pointed out that “the municipality is considering several solutions concerning destroyed buildings, such as building a wall and closing all entrances to shops and buildings until the owners return to clean them. This is in addition to increasing the number of garbage containers in the streets, which will be implemented at the beginning of June.”
As the heat rises and the rodents spread more widely in the area, residents believe these solutions to be useless, as they need action to save children who spend a long time playing in the street."