Red Cross: Syria cries out for clean water

The survived the great earthquake which rocked the northwest of Syria faced the possibility of devastating public health problems a month ago after the earthquake further damaged the region’s dilapidated water supply system, putting new pressure on it and raising concerns of possible collapse.

system of Aleppo water supply, so old that spare parts are no longer available, is under increasing pressure, first due to 12 years of conflict and now due to earthquakes. After losing their homes in the earthquake, more and more people rely on the same system for their water needs. Direct damage to essential parts of the infrastructure reduced the efficiency of the system and increased the risk that contaminated water could contaminate the supply.

In addition, the earthquake destroyed many water deposits towers located on the roofs of houses, which increased the pressure on the system. Parts of the city’s sewage system, already badly damaged during the conflict, collapsed, adding to the need in a region already struggling with the effects of more than a decade of conflict.

“The possibility that earthquake have devastating consequences for public health is alarmingly high. A new public health emergency, such as the spread of infectious diseases, would be a disaster for the region,” said Fabrizio Carboni, regional director for the Near and Middle East at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Access to drinking water is a problem that affects millions of people Syria. Before 2010, 98% of urban residents and 92% of rural communities had reliable access to safe drinking water. Today, only 50% of water supply and sanitation systems are working properly in all of Syria.

“Communities have come together, sharing food, water and clothes. However, the extent and severity of new needs in the affected region, and across Syria, are demanding increased aid. Durable solutions for basic infrastructure are critical to public health. This is especially true for communities that have been the most difficult for humanitarian actors to reach,” said Carboni.

For those communities, who live in areas like Idlib, where the living conditions are catastrophic and the needs are enormous, ICRC calls on all parties to the conflict to put aside political considerations and facilitate humanitarian work so that aid can be delivered to those in need, regardless of modality.

The survived the great earthquake which struck northwest Syria a month ago are facing the prospect of devastating public health problems after the quake further damaged the region’s dilapidated water supply system, putting new pressure on it and raising concerns of a possible collapse.

City water supply system Halep, so old that spare parts are no longer available, is under increasing pressure, first due to 12 years of conflict and now due to earthquakes. After losing their homes in the earthquake, more and more people rely on the same system for their water needs. Direct damage to essential parts of the infrastructure reduced the efficiency of the system and increased the risk that contaminated water could contaminate the supply.

In addition, the earthquake destroyed many water tanks towers located on the roofs of houses, which increased the pressure on the system. Parts of the city’s sewage system, already badly damaged during the conflict, collapsed, adding to the need in a region already struggling with the effects of more than a decade of conflict.

“The potential for an earthquake to have devastating consequences for public health is alarmingly high. A new public health emergency, such as the spread of infectious diseases, would be a disaster for the region,” said Fabrizio Carboni, Regional Director for the Near and Middle East of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

access drinking water it’s a problem that affects millions of people across Syria. Before 2010, 98% of urban residents and 92% of rural communities had reliable access to safe drinking water. Today, only 50% of water supply and sanitation systems are working properly in all of Syria.

“Communities have come together, sharing food, water and clothing. However, the scale and severity of the new needs in the affected region and across Syria require more assistance. Durable solutions for basic infrastructure are critical to public health. This is especially true for communities that have been the most difficult for humanitarian actors to reach,” said Carboni.

For these communities, living in areas like Idlib, where living conditions are catastrophic and needs are immense, the ICRC calls on all parties to the conflict to set aside policies and facilitate humanitarian work so that relief is provided to those who need it, regardless of the modality.