UN aid chief says Syrian COVID-19 cases are `tip of iceberg'

The U.N. humanitarian chief warned Monday that the 10 cases of COVID-19 and one death confirmed in Syria are just “the tip of the iceberg,” and judging from other countries “a devastating impact” can be expected on vulnerable communities. Mark Lowcock told the U.N. Security Council that “all efforts to prevent, detect and respond to COVID-19 are impeded by Syria’s fragile health system,” noting that only around half the country’s hospitals and primary health care facilities were fully functional at the end of 2019. With the Syrian conflict entering its 10th year this month, Lowcock said, over half the population has been forced to flee their homes, more than 11 million people in the country including nearly 5 million children need humanitarian assistance, almost eight million people don’t have reliable access to food, over 20 percent more than last year, and 500,000 children are chronically malnourished.

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