ICRC Ready To Boost Activities In Syria To Help Stop Cholera Outbreak - Official

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is ready to increase its activities in Syria, in particular, in the areas of healthcare and water supply, in order to help the country address the ongoing cholera outbreak, Imene Trabelsi, ICRC regional spokeswoman for the Near and Middle East, told Sputnik

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th October, 2022) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is ready to increase its activities in Syria, in particular, in the areas of healthcare and water supply, in order to help the country address the ongoing cholera outbreak, Imene Trabelsi, ICRC regional spokeswoman for the Near and middle East, told Sputnik.

"The ICRC stands ready to continue and increase its support to health facilities dealing with patients with acute watery Diarrhea/Cholera in the country, in close coordination with the SARC (the Syrian Arab Red Crescent) and other RCRC (Red Cross Red Crescent) Movement partners," Trabelsi said.

The spokeswoman noted that the source of acute watery diarrhea, and, hence, of the cholera outbreak in Syria, was believed to be linked to unsafe drinking water and sewage systems, and use of unclean water for crop irrigation.

"Eleven years of crisis in Syria resulted in high intensity, widespread and heavy levels of destruction of the main water facilities across the country. Today only 50% of water and sanitation systems are still functioning properly across Syria," Trabelsi explained.

Syria is facing a 40% decrease in the production of drinking water compared to a decade ago, according to the spokeswoman.

This shortage has resulted in greater instability, especially in the regions worst hit by the military conflict.

To improve the situation with water supplies, the ICRC along with the SARC have already implemented thousands of engineering projects across the country, including in Aleppo Governorate, where Syria's largest drinking water system is located, the ICRC official said. According to Trabelsi, over 17 million Syrians benefited from various water and habitat interventions in 2021.

In late August, Syria registered its first outbreak of cholera infection in over a decade in the provinces of Al-Hasakah, Deir ez-Zor, Latakia, and Damascus, with Aleppo being the main hotbed. As of October 8, 15,823 suspected cases have been reported in the country, including 68 fatalities.

Cholera is an acute bacterial infection transmitted through contaminated food or water. Symptoms include severe diarrhea. A person can potentially die from the illness within hours if left untreated, but most people recover after exhibiting only mild symptoms, with the help of oral re-hydration solutions.