A plane carrying medical supplies to deal with the spread of a deadly cholera outbreak in war-torn Syria landed in the capital of Damascus on Monday, the World Health Organization said, and another one will follow.
Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO’s regional director, told The Associated Press in an interview during a visit to Damascus that Syrian health authorities are coordinating with the international organization to contain the outbreak.
“It is a threat to Syria, to the region, (to) neighboring countries and to the whole world,” he said.
Al-Mandhari’s comments came days after health officials in Syria reported at least five deaths and about 200 cases in different provinces. It is the first such outbreak since before the conflict began in March 2011.
The UN and Syria’s Health Ministry have said the source of the outbreak is believed to be linked to people drinking unsafe water from the Euphrates River and using contaminated water to irrigate crops, resulting in food contamination.
The cases were reported in several provinces, including Aleppo in the north, Latakia on the Mediterranean coast, and Deir eza-Zour along the border with Iraq.
Al-Mandhari said WHO is working on strengthening surveillance to identify cases and give the sick the proper treatment as well as trace those who are infected and those who were in contact with them.
