EU preparing 'further countermeasures' to protect its interest, von der Leyen says    911 emergency centers handle over 2.8 million calls in March    Musk's X is suing India, as Tesla and Starlink plan entry    Tesla sales plunge after backlash against Elon Musk    Saudi Arabia posts SR49.8 billion travel surplus in 2024 as visitor spending hits SR153.6 billion    Saudi Arabia urges stronger global action to protect children in cyberspace at UN    Israel announces expansion of military operation in Gaza to seize 'large areas' of land    US cancels visa of Nobel Peace Prize winner Oscar Arias    Danish prime minister refutes US claim on Greenland on visit to the Arctic territory    Aubameyang fires Al Qadsiah into King's Cup final with stoppage-time winner over Al Raed    Cristiano Ronaldo joins Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves    Saudi Arabia welcomes trilateral border treaty between Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan    Swedish table tennis legend Jörgen Persson appointed head coach of Saudi national team    Danilo Pereira fires Al Ittihad into King's Cup final with dramatic stoppage-time double    Tebuk emir reviews rain response in Tayma    Saudi Arabia considers rent cap as part of major real estate reforms    Screen time in bed linked to insomnia, study finds    Mexico bans junk food in schools to fight childhood obesity epidemic    Sweet sales surge ahead of Eid as Saudi chocolate imports top 123 million kg in 2024    Saudi creatives shine at Jeddah's Fawanees Nights with art, fashion, and storytelling    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Syria COVID spread may be much higher than figures suggest: Lowcock
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 17 - 09 - 2020

Reports from inside Syria are pointing to a much broader spread of COVID-19 than the number of confirmed cases — currently 3,618 — suggests, the UN's top humanitarian official says.
Mark Lowcock told the Security Council on Wednesday that it will not be possible to grasp the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in Syria until laboratory testing is stepped up.
Transmission ‘widespread'
"We do know that community transmission is widespread, as almost 90 per cent of newly confirmed cases cannot be traced to a known source", he said, adding that COVID-19 infection rates among health workers are also on the rise.
Presenting the Council with his monthly update on the humanitarian crisis in Syria, he said that a shortage of health workers and medical supplies, combined with temporary shutdowns, are putting more pressure on Syria's decimated health system.
Citing an analysis by his Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), he said that in low-income countries, healthcare disruptions resulting from the pandemic could trigger more deaths from preventable illnesses that from COVID-19 itself.
Economic crisis
Lowcock also emphasized the economic impact of the pandemic in Syria, citing recent data that shows that 45 percent of businesses have temporarily shut down, 25 percent running at reduced levels and 15 percent permanently closed.
In northwest Syria, where 45 percent of households depend on day labor for their income, more than 70 percent of households reported that their income is not enough to cover their needs — a 10 percent jump since January, he said.
On the question of humanitarian access, the subject of deep rifts among Council members, he said that the United Nations is adjusting its cross-border operations into the northwest to meet the needs of the millions of people who depend on aid shipments to survive.
Sole crossing for aid
All UN humanitarian convoys, including those going to Aleppo, now travel from Turkey into Syria via Bab al-Hawa after the Council, through resolution 2533 (2020), closed a second crossing point with more direct access to the north-east.
Lowcock said that the distribution of medical supplies from the last World Health Organization (WHO) overland shipment to reach north-east Syria in July is still ongoing. Recipients so far include 17 hospitals, including 12 previously supplied through the cross-border mechanism.
On "cross-line" humanitarian deliveries within Syria, he called on all parties to redouble efforts to hammer out details for extending aid to the north-west, an area that includes Aleppo. — UN News


Clic here to read the story from its source.