Idlib province in Syria has been experiencing COVID-19 surge and lacking needs to fight the pandemic.
Daily new infections have routinely surpassed 1,500 in recent weeks, and authorities reported 34 deaths on Sunday alone — figures that are still regarded to be underestimated because many infected individuals do not disclose to authorities.
The surge is especially catastrophic in a region where hundreds of hospitals have been attacked, and doctors and nurses have fled in droves for a decade of war.
Doctors in Idlib said that the surge is a “medical catastrophe.”
“What is happening is a medical catastrophe,” the Idlib Doctors Syndicate said.
Idlib has been facing a shortage of oxygen and medical supplies, almost full capacity of intensive care units, and the vaccination program is behind.
Idlib COVID-1 surge has caused the closure of several marketplaces, forced eateries to serve only outdoor meals, and pushed back the start of school by a week.
However, most of the population are day laborers who would be unable to live if they were to stop working, making complete lockdowns impractical.