BEIRUT: Kurdish-led authorities in northeast Syria announced Thursday that they will extend a partial lockdown for another week amid a surge in cases of coronavirus. Meanwhile, as an international aid group has warned of oxygen shortages in the region.
Northeast Syria has been witnessing a sharp increase of coronavirus cases and deaths in recent weeks. Earlier this month, authorities imposed a complete lockdown for 10 days, followed by a weeklong partial lockdown that ends Thursday.
The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria said the seven-day extension would include a curfew from sunset to sunrise, closing schools and universities as well as all crossing points with areas controlled by the government and insurgent groups. All cafes and markets will be closed while restaurants will only do delivery service.
On Wednesday, the health department said 123 new cases and 14 deaths were registered in the region, which is home to 5 million people and borders Turkey and Iraq. The new cases raise to 15,796 the total registered coronavirus cases in the region, including 571 deaths.
On Thursday, the International Rescue Committee warned of a severe shortage of testing supplies and oxygen in northeast Syria, adding that this is putting the “region’s COVID-19 response in serious jeopardy.”
IRC said that in addition to the urgent need for more testing supplies, COVID Treatment Facilities in the region “are also becoming overstretched — many are already at capacity and seven CTFs were forced to cease operating in March due to a lack of funding.”
It warned of an acute shortage of oxygen in Syria’s eastern province of Deir Ezzor, where at least one hospital has said it is running out of medicines.
“Testing capacity in the northeast has never been sufficient, and now it may be lost altogether,” said Misty Buswell, Policy and Advocacy Director for the IRC in the Middle East and North Africa.
The Syrian government received last week a batch of 203,000 COVID-19 vaccines, of which part will be send to the northeast.
The World Health Organization said in March that it will oversee a coronavirus vaccination campaign, adding that the aim is to vaccinate 20% of the population by the end of 2021.
Coronavirus surges in northeast Syria amid oxygen shortages
https://arab.news/29dvq
Coronavirus surges in northeast Syria amid oxygen shortages
- Northeast Syria has been witnessing a sharp increase of coronavirus cases and deaths in recent weeks
- The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria said the seven-day extension would include a curfew from sunset to sunrise
Head of Gaza technocrat committee in Washington for ‘Board of Peace’ meeting: Palestinian officials
- Shaath is scheduled to deliver a speech outlining the general framework of his plan for the first 100 days
- Around two dozen world leaders and senior officials have traveled to Washington for the meeting
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: The head of the Palestinian technocratic committee formed to handle day-to-day governance of Gaza, Ali Shaath, was in Washington Thursday to attend the inaugural “Board of Peace” meeting, two Palestinian officials told AFP.
“Ali Shaath... arrived in Washington at dawn today to participate in the Washington meeting of the Board of Peace,” a source familiar with the committee told AFP.
“Shaath is scheduled to deliver a speech outlining the general framework of his plan for the first 100 days. He is accompanied by the committee’s official in charge of the finance portfolio,” the source added.
A committee member confirmed to AFP that Shaath had arrived “following an invitation he received yesterday to attend the Washington meeting.”
Around two dozen world leaders and senior officials have traveled to Washington for the meeting, which was set up after the Trump administration, along with Qatar and Egypt, negotiated a ceasefire in October to halt two years of war in Gaza.
Around two dozen world leaders and senior officials have traveled to Washington for the inaugural meeting of the “Board of Peace,” which was set up after the Trump administration, along with Qatar and Egypt, negotiated a ceasefire in October to halt two years of war in Gaza.
At Thursday’s meeting, Trump is expected to detail pledges of more than $5 billion for Gaza.
The meeting will also look at how to launch the International Stabilization Force that will ensure security in Gaza.
