In Syria's northwest, coronavirus is not the biggest problem

Only 10 per cent of residents wear masks and 1,000 doctors cater to a population of 4 million

A member of Syria's opposition National Liberation Front fires a 155mm gun towards positions of Russian and regime forces on October 28, 2020, in retaliation to a reported Russian air strike on a traiShow more

Residents in north-west Syria face an existence where masks, social distancing and even the coronavirus are less important than other dangers, several rescue workers told The National.

Only about 10 per cent of residents wear masks, a survey of 767 people conducted by the Turkey-based Relief Experts Association (UDER) in north-western Syria showed. The most common reason cited for not wearing a mask was the inability to afford one.

"Faced with the choice of buying bread or masks most rather spend what little money they have on basic needs than personal protective equipment," Munir Mustafa, deputy director of the Syrian Civil Defence known as the White Helmets, told The National on Thursday.

In overcrowded camps for the internally displaced where tents are set up side-by-side, social distancing is virtually impossible.

"The priorities are simply different. The pandemic here is displacement and airstrikes. Coronavirus is simply a danger that cannot be compared to the other, bigger dangers faced by the people here," media co-ordinator for the White Helmets Khalid Al Khatib told The National.

Massive shortages in screening kits, a medical infrastructure weakened by a almost decade-long war and significant shortages in international aid are only exacerbating the risks posed by the pandemic, medical and rescue workers said.

The first coronavirus case in northwest Syria was detected on July 8 but displacement and destruction have made medical workers a scarce commodity.

"Around 1,000 doctors cater to a population of just over 4 million," Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) Turkey country director Dr. Mazen Kewara told The National.

“Healthcare workers were subject to attacks and all kinds of violations. Until now 19 per cent of all Covid-19 confirmed cases are healthcare workers” he said.

Escalating tensions

Recent escalations in Russian-Turkish tensions in the north have also added fuel to the fire.

On October 26, Russian forces carried out airstrikes on the headquarters of a Turkish-backed Syrian opposition group killing at least 78 fighters.

A ceasefire agreement between Russian and Turkish forces held longer than Syria watchers expected although with the recent attack, it remains unclear what the Turkish response would be.

"The additional threat that Covid-19 poses to Idlib's over three million inhabitants, and in particular to the tens of thousands of displaced civilians living in makeshift camps, underlines the urgency for reaching a more durable ceasefire that could allow for a co-ordinated international humanitarian response," Senior Syria Analyst at the International Crisis Group Dareen Khalifa told The National.

Of 760 screening tests conducted, 301 new cases were detected in the north-west, figures by the Assistance Coordination Unit (ACU), the humanitarian aid arm of the opposition Syrian National Coalition and the World Health Organization's Early Warning Alert and Response Network (‎EWARN)‎ show.