The first COVID-19 case has been confirmed in Syria’s war-torn Idlib province. Humanitarian organizations working in northwest Syria have long feared an outbreak could severely hurt the population there that is contending with massive displacement and the ongoing war between government and rebel forces.
Conditions in Idlib make it susceptible to a large outbreak, a nongovernmental organization official said. “The millions who live in this region are often residing in close quarters, may not have enough clean water for drinking and handwashing, and frequently lack the necessary resources to protect themselves,” Mercy Corps’ Syria director Kieren Barnes said in a statement sent to Al-Monitor today.
