- The outbreak has been concentrated in the provinces of Aleppo and Deir al-Zour.
- It is thought to be caused by people drinking contaminated water from the Euphrates River and using it on crops.
- The outbreak is seen as an indicator of Syria’s severe water shortages caused by climate change and conflict.
The United Nations has expressed concern about Syria’s first confirmed cholera outbreak in years, calling it a “serious threat” to the entire region.
In the last three weeks, more than 900 suspected cases and eight deaths have been reported in the war-torn country.
The outbreak has been concentrated in the provinces of Aleppo and Deir al-Zour.
It is thought to be caused by people drinking contaminated water from the Euphrates River, which runs through the provinces and then using it on crops.
The outbreak is also seen as an indicator of Syria’s severe water shortages caused by climate change and conflict.
Rising temperatures, below-average rainfall, and reduced flow from upstream neighbor Turkey have caused the Euphrates to reach critical levels.
Because of this, as well as widespread damage to supply and sewerage infrastructure, many of the 5 million Syrians who rely on the river for drinking water and crop irrigation are forced to rely on unsafe sources. It has also resulted in an increase in water-borne diseases such as cholera.
According to the state-run Sana news agency, the Syrian health ministry confirmed 20 cases of cholera, including two deaths, in the northern province of Aleppo on Monday.
It went on to say that four more cases had been confirmed in the coastal province of Latakia, as well as two in Damascus’ capital among Aleppo patients.
However, the UN warned that since August 25, 936 cases of severe acute diarrhea, including at least eight related deaths, had been recorded across Syria.
More than 670 suspected cases and six deaths occurred in Aleppo, with 201 cases and two deaths occurring in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour.
“The outbreak presents a serious threat to people in Syria and the region,” warned the UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator in Syria, Imran Riza.
“Swift and urgent action is needed to prevent further illness and death,” he added, appealing to donor countries for urgent additional funding.
According to the UN, rapid diagnostic tests, intravenous fluids, and rehydration salts have been delivered to health facilities in affected communities and other high-risk areas, such as refugee camps. Trucks are also delivering clean water, and chlorination is being expanded.
Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholera ingestion of contaminated food or water. If left untreated, the disease can kill within hours in severe cases.
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