Our @RojavaIC team continues to follow the coronavirus crisis in North and East Syria from the frontlines.
Tabqa,has a stronger health response in place than other nearby cities.
But the hospital only has 5 moderate care beds online, is yet to start proper testing:
Two key crossings from Damascus-held territory contribute to coronavirus' spread.
Isolation centers are themselves hotbeds of the disease, while the detection process is also deficient.
6000 people inc. 4000 students have entered NES, without any corona case being detected.
The Tabqa Health Department explains: “we conduct temperature checks and routine questions, but people give false info to pass through without problems. Taxi drivers tell people what to say to cross without any problems. Moreover, 40 people cross the border illegally every day."
"We don't have to buy ventilators, we have to convince people to wear masks," they add.
Almost no-one wears a mask, and mass public gatherings are commonplace.
However, masks, hand-washing and protective measures are being enforced at public buildings and health facilities.
This derelict school is being redeveloped into a coronavirus center for moderate to severe cases, but this process will take months.
There are only 18 reported cases in Tabqa to date, but as no proper testing has started yet real figures are likely much higher.
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"The theories Turkey are advancing [Ankara attackers coming from Syria] are not true. Turkey wants to legitimize its attacks. The primary aim of the attacks is to destroy our people's existence."
"These attacks are war crimes. All intl. agreements, the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols, say civilian infrastructure and civilians should not be a target. It is forbidden. But as has been seen, Turkey violates this. No other states raise their voice against this."
"Turkey wants to create refugees, change the identity of this region. This is a mode of genocide. Murder, creating poverty and hunger, cutting off water, cutting off the essentials of life, aim to destroy our people, make them refugees, make that no one can live in this land."
Across January 27th and 28th, the city of Qamishlo hosted North and East Syria's inaugural technology fair.
24 inventors and companies participated in the event, which was organized by the telecommunications company Rcell, presenting a variety of applications and devices.
The exhibited projects ranged from large-scale solar panels for agricultural use to innovative applications in health care, as well as surveillance technology for private owners.
Among the the exhibitors there were also students of the University of Rojava.
Recently graduated from the faculties of Mechatronics, Engineering, and the Institute of Technical Sciences, they presented their technological innovations including a smart farming project and...
Yesterday, Iraq's Ministry of Migration and Displacement announced the repatriation of 584 people from al-Hol camp, marking Iraq's first repatriation mission since October. The camp's Iraqi population now stands at 26,875, comprising over half of the total inhabitants.
Those leaving al-Hol camp will be sent to al-Jada camp in Iraq's Nineveh governorate. With this most recent repatriation mission, the total number of Iraqi citizens repatriated from NES since 2017 rises to 11,484. This includes those repatriated from prisons as well as camps.
A few days after Iraq's new government, under PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, was sworn in on October 27th, the Minister of Migration & Displacement suspended the return of displaced Iraqis from al-Hol camp, citing the need for a more robust humanitarian and security mechanism.
US' @CENTCOM have announced that the "Free Syrian Army" killed ISIS' leader, Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, in Daraa province back in October. ISIS have now declared Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi as their new leader.
The threat from ISIS sleeper cells remains high in NES. Yesterday, AANES' Justice and Reform Office announced a state of alert due to intelligence that ISIS is preparing for an attack on an ISIS prison in Qamishlo city.
Back in September, Turkey killed the two co-chairs of the Justice and Reform Office using a drone.
"The Shammar is not just a traditional tribe; a big part of the tribe is involved in politics".
The Shammar tribe is AANES’ closest ally of the Arab tribes in NES. RIC spoke with journalist Tarif Obeid and Arwa Ahmed al-Salah, both from the Shammar, regarding ...
... the significance of Shammar-AANES relations, as well as of that between their respective defence forces: the Sanadid and YPG-YPJ.
Recently, the Sheikh of Shammar in Syria, Hamidi Daham al-Hadi, died aged 86. Hamidi had cultivated strong relations with Kurds and Kurdish groups in NES, prior to the establishment of AANES, and later oversaw the integration of Shammar’s militia, the Sanadid, into the SDF.
The Turkish army is shelling the city of Kobane. Some local sources have reported that there are casualties.
Shelling has been ongoing in other places across NES as well.
Last night, the Turkish army shelled Jirnik and Xerze villages in Amude's countryside, and Chetel, Qermane, Melek, and Delil villages in Darbasiyah's countryside, causing damage to civilian houses.
Also shelled last night was the village of Rotaan, in the countryside of Tirbespi, where the Syriac Sotoro Forces Academy is located.
In this past week, Turkey had already shelled this village, as well as the Syriac Church of Maharkan and the Syriac village of Malla Abbas.