Cholera outbreak in Syria kills 55

A cholera outbreak originating from contaminated water near the Euphrates River in Syria has now spread across the crowded camps in east and west of the nation without running water or sewage systems.

The outbreak has infected an estimated 6,000 people and killed 55, with figures expected to keep rising.

The International Rescue Committee said that the outbreak has been caused by private companies selling untreated water from the Euphrates River to desperate communities who lack access to safe drinking water throughout the war-torn country. 

There is now 40% less drinking water than before the conflict began over a decade ago, Relief web said. 

Cholera is spread by the ingestion of contaminated food or water and can cause acute diarrhoea. While most of those affected will have mild or no symptoms, cholera can kill within hours if untreated, the World Health Organization website says.

The first cholera cases were detected on Sept. 5 in Deir al-Zor province, east of Syria before spreading swiftly to central areas and reaching as far as the rebel held Idlib region, where over 4 million people live in extreme poverty. 

“Overcrowded and old tents with limited or no access to basic services, like water supply or proper sewage systems,” were a serious concern in the camps for the displaced, said Dr Amany Sadek, the WHO’s cholera outbreak incident manager. 

"How am I not supposed to catch cholera with the sewage running right next to our tent?" 60 year old Sobha al-Jadoue said to Reuters, who lives in one of those camps. "We can no longer sleep or sit because of the smells. A few days ago the sewage spilled into my tent."