COVID-19 in North and Eastern Syria Threat, Response and Challenges

2020-04-09
International reports, data collected by ASO team on the field and context analysis in NES region suggest the autonomous administration and local and international organizations active in the area to fail in suppressing COVID-19 if it spreads, as well as in treating moderate and serious cases. With its limited capacities, the autonomous administration took some prevention and precautionary measures including closing border crossings, institutions, markets and gathering places, imposing curfew, conducting sterilization campaigns with primitive materials not useful to fight the virus, and preparing quarantines despite the severe shortage of medical equipment, medications and sterilant, PPEs including masks, gloves and protection vests.

With only 27 intensive care rooms, 5 CT machines، 100 ventilators, and only 2 doctors trained on using ventilator – the full capacity of both public and private sectors- and within the absence of PRCs, which are available only in Damascus and Ras Al Ayn, the autonomous administration is expected to provide medical service to  more than 4000000 population including IDPs and ISIS detainees.  Moreover, the lack of water as Turkey has repeatedly cut the supply of water after its military operations, and the bad sewage infrastructure increase the danger of having more people infected. Additionally, the already very bad economic conditions, high unemployment rate, high severe poverty rate (80%), the curfew imposed in this war-torn area where people depend on daily work wages accompanied with the administration’s total inability to provide support increases the risk. However, this looming humanitarian catastrophe in North and East Syria is met with silence and ignorance by international agencies, ahead of which comes the World Health Organizations, despite the calls of the autonomous administration and local and international organizations for intervention in NES region.

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