The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned that Syria’s ageing and war-damaged water system in the northwestern province of Aleppo is at risk of collapse following an earthquake that struck the area one month ago.
The quake, which killed almost 6,000 people in the country, caused direct damage to the water infrastructure and destroyed many rooftop water tanks, adding more strain on a system already impaired after 12 years of conflict.
The ICRC said that the situation could have devastating public health consequences as a knock-on effect from the earthquake. It has called for urgent action to prevent a collapse and avoid further humanitarian crises.
North Syria was already trying to control a possible cholera outbreak before the earthquake. Access to clean water is crucial to struggle with the highly contagious bacterial disease, which is caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water and can result in death if left untreated.
Syria has been struggling with a challenge to access safe drinking water, with only 50 per cent of water and sanitation systems functioning properly across the country. Before the start of a civil war in the country in 2011, 98 per cent of people in cities and 92 per cent of people in rural communities had reliable access to safe water.
