Coronavirus 'disaster in the making' in Syria amid healthcare crisis

A much greater disaster looms over Syria which is trying to tackle the coronavirus threat with dire hygiene conditions and hospitals which now lack medical staff due to a decade long civil war. Syria is now under the control of Bashar al-Assad lead Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party, however, there are still some areas which are held by pro-Ankara rebels and Kurds. Meanwhile, both Moscow and Ankara repeatedly engage in offensives to take control of the country’s northwestern region.

Shutdown amid pandemic

In a bid to stem the spread of COVID-19, the Damascus government has ordered the shutting down of schools and restaurants and has restricted the movement of people from one province to another. The deadly virus has now infected 25 people and killed two in the middle eastern nation. However, these low numbers aren’t an indicator of lesser infection but they point out at the lack of testing in the nation. According to reports, only 100 patients are tested daily among which half is carried out in the capital Damascus. There are expert opinions that suggest that the low reportage of coronavirus could be inspired by political motives.

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‘Impossible Physical distance'

Meanwhile, Syria with a dramatic shortage of healthcare workers also faces another problem- Social distancing. According to the International Committee of Red Cross, physical distancing is “impossible in displacement camps” in Idlib, the last rebel-held province. Idlib which has now become a battleground between Russia and Turkey was already enduring a humanitarian crisis before the outbreak began. Emile Hokayem, Middle East analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London commenting on the virus situation reportedly said that there was a "disaster in the making." 

Read: Coronavirus: UNHR 'alarmed' Over Prison Conditions In Syria; Urges Release Of Some Inmates

Meanwhile, Misty Buswell from aid group International Rescue Committee (IRC), speaking to an international news agency reportedly said that a lack of food, clean water and exposure to cold weather have already left hundreds of thousands of people in poor health, making them even more vulnerable. She added that adding that the devastation in Idlib could be "unimaginable". According to the organisation, all 105 Intensive care beds and 30 adult ventilators were already in use, while nearly 70 per cent of healthcare workers had fled the nation since the Syrian war began in 2011.

Image: AP

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