Cholera cases have risen in all regions of Syria, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) released on Monday. WHO reported 56,879 suspected cases of cholera, including 98 deaths, between 25 August and 3 December.
The figures show a 0.2% death rate in the cholera epidemic in Syria.
According to the report, the most affected provinces are Deir Ez-Zor (19,430 suspected cases, 34.16 percent attack rate), located in northeastern Syria on the Euphrates River; the northwest province of Idlib (12.113 suspected cases, 21.3 percent attack rate); Raqqa (11,998 suspected cases, 21.09 percent attack rate), located on the Euphrates River in the north of the country; and the northwest province of Aleppo (10,501 suspected cases, 18.46 percent attack rate).
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in November that Turkey’s disruptions to the water supply in North and East Syria had triggered a cholera epidemic in the region.
In July, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) reported that Turkish forces had targeted infrastructure, including water and power stations, in a state of emergency declaration regarding Turkey’s military operations in Syrian territory.
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, 50 percent of water and sanitation systems are not operating properly due to the destruction of water facilities across the country during the ongoing conflict.
The unsafe drinking and irrigation water sources carry high risks, particularly to children, due to dangerous water-borne diseases such as cholera, which the U.N. defines as an indicator of inequity.
