Nine years of war, systematic targeting of health and water infrastructure by occupying Turkish forces, lack of international recognition, and the January 2020 closure of the only UN aid crossing into North and East Syria (NES) have left the autonomous region at extreme risk from coronavirus. With the World Health Organization (WHO) refusing to support it directly, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) is reliant on its own meagre resources and aid routed via the Assad government, little of which ever arrives to the north-east.

This briefing gives a quick overview of the looming coronavirus crisis in NES, before providing in-depth info on: the severing of UN aid to to NES; NES’ inability to test for coronavirus; lack of WHO assistance; Turkey’s severing of water flow into NES; and the situation in camps and prisons.

The briefing is accurate as of 5 April 2020, will be updated regularly as the crisis develops.

Download the PDF here.