Syrian Association for Citizens' Dignity calls on @WHOSyria, @ICRC, @OCHA_Syria and other international agencies to take immediate steps to prepare for a possible outbreak of #COVID19 virus in #Idlib and take all possible preventive measures. [Thread] 1/
This includes dispatching staff, ICU equipment, plasma from recovered patients from other countries, respirators and medical supplies needed for a possible outbreak. If such measures aren’t taken now, considering the situation in Idlib, the outcome could be catastrophic. 2/
People of Idlib and northern countryside of Aleppo are particularly vulnerable to #COVID19. Their immune systems are severely affected due to the hardship suffered in recent months, harsh conditions of displacement and weak diet. 3/
In addition, there is a dire lack of medical facilities in Idlib with some 40 hospitals and 80 clinics, operating with only 40% of required staff capacity, serving almost 4 million people, of which 1 million are displaced. 4/
The makeshift camps housing most of the displaced lack the basic infrastructure needed for such concentration of people, with an acute shortage of water for washing or cleaning supplies that could help preventive sterilization. 5/
The threat to people of Idlib and northern countryside of Aleppo is made worse by the proximity of regime-held areas where the #COVID19 outbreak is being concealed in the inability of regime to provide any preventive measures and protect the people living under its control. 6/
Regime has no control of borders with Lebanon and Iraq, w crossings controlled by Iranian militias and no examination of people crossing + unimpeded influx of fighters and others from Iran, where #COVID19 epidemic is raging = recipe for disaster should the virus reach Idlib. 7/
For this reason, we also call on responsible parties in Idlib to establish mechanisms to examine entrants from crossings w areas controlled by regime and its allies, and coordinate w relevant international agencies to take necessary measures to stop the spread of the virus.8/8
