Coronavirus strongly outbreaks in northeast Syria, dozens infected

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of Northeast Syria announced on Monday dozens of coronavirus cases on the region after months of lockdown.

Health Authority in the region said in a statement that 17 coronavirus cases confirmed in the past few days in the areas of Raqqa, Deir Ezzor, Qamishli and Hassakeh.

“In addition to the 11 cases in Hassakeh and Qamishli, 3 in Raqqa and 3 in Deir Ezzor, there are still dozens of cases not confirmed,” the statement reads.

Although the region has until recently been free of known infections, the local Autonomous Administration last week confirmed four new coronavirus cases.

This brings the total number of known COVID-19 cases to 25. So far, only one person has died from the virus in northeast Syria.

Local authorities last week announced new measures to prevent the potential spread of the virus, including closing border crossings, limiting travel, and prohibiting public gatherings such as weddings and other ceremonies.

Turkey has regularly cut the water supply to northeast Syria by cutting off the Alouk water station, which has been under Turkish control since Ankara’s cross border invasion of the area in October 2019.

UNICEF earlier warned that this could put at serious risk all current efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease among vulnerable displaced populations.

Furthermore, due to repeated Russian and Chinese vetoes of UN Security Council resolutions, the al-Yarubiah border crossing was closed in January, shutting down crucial humanitarian aid to millions of civilians in northeast Syria, including 40 percent of all NGO medicine supplies.

( Reporting by Hisham Arafat)