Raqqa camp officials warn of scabies outbreak
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – An official at al-Mahmoudli camp, in the Raqqa region, northern Syria, warned on Tuesday of the risk of an epidemic among IDPs in the coming weeks, after recording cases of scabies.
IDPs in the al-Mahmoudli camp suffer from dire living and humanitarian conditions. Unfortunately, they have been deprived of assistance for over three months, as the al-Mawada Association, in northeast Syria, has been suspended by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES). This is due to its violation of NGO work regulations, as well as numerous complaints that were filed against it.
Siham al-Aqla, the director of al-Mahmoudli camp, said that they had reported cases of scabies due to the absence of hygiene kits, which have not been distributed in the camp for the past three months.
Al-Aqla warned of a wider spread of diseases and epidemics during the coming period, especially in light of the high temperatures and the continued lack of hygiene materials in the camp for another month.
She pointed out that there are very small quantities of medications that are not enough to cover the needs of IDPs. The official described the conditions of IDPs in the camp as very bad, in light of the three-month-long interruption in aid.
Al-Aqla called on humanitarian organizations, associations and the UN to “rapidly respond” to cover the needs of the IDPs for hygiene baskets.
Six humanitarian organizations operate in the camp, in addition to four associations, providing water, bread, gas, education, protection and support for women, with a medical point in the camp that lacks midwives.
The camp holds 1,814 families or 9,184 individuals, mostly from the regions and cities of Aleppo, Homs, Hama, and Deir ez-Zor, which are controlled by the Syrian government forces.
Among them are more than 4,500 children under the age of 18, and about 1,150 infants, in addition to 276 people with physical and mental disabilities, as well as 578 people with chronic diseases.
Amal al-Issa, co-chair of the Social Affairs and Labor Board in Tabqa, told North Press that the AANES, in these circumstances, is unable to “give assistance to IDPs and provides very little support.”