nlp-thedeep/humsetbias huggingface dataset:
[ 17th September , Overall Syria ] Nutrition partners have reported a rise in moderate acute malnutrition since screening was disrupted from April, and surveys have indicated a reduction of up to 50 per cent in immunization services. Within the reporting period, UNFPA reported a suspension of GBV services, particularly in camps, due to enhanced preventive measures in light of COVID 19 cases
[ 11 24 May 2021 ]  International transit points: 33 and 48,105 traversers; Internal transit points: 11 and 32,230 traversers
[ 8th September 2020, Overall Syria ]  on 8 September, local authorities announced individuals holding expired European residency permits can cross to Iraq to undertake renewal processes once per week.
[ 1 July 2021, Deir ez  Zor, GoS ]  Areas under Assad's regime's control as well as its allies, the Iranian and local militias in Deir ez Zor, are witnessing a drastic increase in the number of children working in the local market. This follows the poor economic conditions experienced by the city's residents. With the end of the school year and the start of the summer holidays in the city, most children have to work to support their families and provide them with financial assistance, despite the very low pay.
[ 18 June 2021, NWS ]  More than 4 million people in northwest Syria will lose access to desperately needed medical and humanitarian aid if the United Nations Security Council fails to renew its mandate for cross border aid by July 10, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières  ( MSF )  said today, calling for its renewal.
[ December 2020, Syria ]  As of 30 December 2020, 11,344 cases of COVID 19 were officially confirmed by the Minister of Health in government held areas in Syria, marking a 44 percent increase compared to the national rate of COVID 19 cases at the end of November.
[ 4 April 2021 Damascus, GoS ]  The Health Ministry announced that 120 new coronavirus cases were recorded in Syria, adding that 113 coronavirus patients recovered, and 11 others passed away.
[ 19 June 2021, GoS ]  Health Ministry announced that 41 new coronavirus cases were recorded in Syria, adding that 10 coronavirus patients recovered and 4 others passed away.
[ 18 June 2021 ]  Health Ministry announced that 44 new coronavirus cases were recorded in Syria, adding that 8 coronavirus patients recovered and 5 others passed away.
[ 27 March 2021, GoS ]  Health Ministry announced that 155 new coronaviruses were registered in Syria while 120 cases recovered and 10 others passed away.
[ January 2021, Ar Raqqa Governorate ]   [ Mahmoudli Camp Overview: No. of Individual: 10,277 ]  Average number of individuals per shelter is 5.6.
[ April 2021, GoS ]  In April 2021, close to one third of the surveyed households  ( 30 percent )  indicated facing difficulties in physically reaching markets, an increase of six percentage points from March 2021, which represents the highest level recorded since April 2020. The trend was higher in Al Hasakeh  ( 39 percent ) , reportedly due to COVID 19 travel  related restrictions  ( 20 percent ) . In Al Hasakeh, reduced access to markets happened concurrently with the surge of COVID 19 cases and the imposed curfew across northeast Syria during most of April. Moreover, around seven percent of respondents in both governorates of Al Hasakeh and Ar Raqqa indicated that markets were closed. In terms of displacement status, a higher proportion of IDPs  ( 32 percent )  reported not having access to markets during April 2021, compared to returnees  ( 30 percent )  and residents  ( 29 percent ) .
The city of Al Bab is witnessing an outbreak of coronavirus, in light of the lack of poor medical services and precautionary measures, amid demands from residents of Aleppo countryside to quarantine the city.
Breakdown of the cases is as follows: 33 cases, including medical staff in HTS held areas in Idlib, parts of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia, and 45 cases in the areas controlled by Turkish backed factions, north of Aleppo. While recovery cases in north western Syria have risen to 56.
Health Ministry announced on Tuesday that 65 new coronavirus cases were registered in Syria, while 17 patients have recovered and 4 ones have passed away.
In a statement to SANA, the Ministry indicated that the total number of coronavirus infections registered in the country till now reached 2830, of which 646 have recovered while 116 ones have passed away.
On Sept. 20, 2020, School Health at the Ministry of Education recorded the first coronavirus infection, a student in the fifth grade, in a school in the capital Damascus.
Since 23 July local authorities have issued further directives aimed at curbing the spread of COVID 19. This includes a full curfew in Jazeera Canton, Al Hasakeh from 6 August for a period of at least two weeks, as well as bans on mass gatherings and movement restrictions between towns, cities and districts; the closure of all non essential shops/services, all local authority departments and limits on the operating hours of nonessential medical services to four hours per day.
[ 17th September  ]  Highlighting the particular risks faced by healthcare workers, according to the MoH, 126 healthcare workers have tested positive for COVID 19; an increase of 36 since the last report. This includes 53 in Damascus; 28 in Lattakia; 14 in Rural Damascus; seven in Aleppo; six in Quneitra; six in Tartous; three each in Hama, Dar'a and Al Hasakeh; two in As Sweida; and one in Homs. Of particular concern, 11 healthcare workers are reported to have died, most recently on 3 September
Although partial lockdowns have also been introduced in Ar Raqqa and Kobane, there are concerns that these do not go far enough with, for instance, restaurants in Raqqa still permitted to open for dine in customers and mass gatherings, including weddings and funerals, reported over the last week. The local authorities have indicated they plan to make face coverings in public spaces mandatory across all areas of NES in the coming days.
The project, which is implemented in two parts, includes nine different activities. The first part of the project targets 21 squatter camps in Idlib and Aleppo with supplying safe drinking water, providing 25 IDP camps with 2000 liter water tanks, and repairing 100 toilets and 60 water points. It also includes raising health awareness in camps to reduce the outbreak of diseases and epidemics, particularly the coronavirus  ( COVID 19 ) . These activities will continue 3 months for the benefit of 13,380 people.
United Nations mediated talks in Geneva involving the Syrian government, opposition and civil society have been put "on hold" after three participants tested positive for COVID 19, just hours after the meetings started for the first time in nine months.
Health Ministry on Friday evening announced that 40 new Coronavirus  ( COVID 19 )  cases have been registered in Syria, and that 15 patients infected with the virus have recovered, while 3 patients have passed away.
[ July 2021, NWS and Ras Al Ain – Tell Abiad ]  Coupled with the SYP's lower purchasing power, access to basic food needs has become increasingly difficult for many people. According to 2021 Humanitarian Needs Overview  ( HNO ) , 3.1 million people in north west Syria are in acute food insecurity and in need of food assistance.
The GoS continues to maintain a widespread easing of preventive measures introduced throughout May, albeit with some ongoing changes. On 26 July, following a rise in cases in Damascus and Rural Damascus, authorities announced that prayers for funerals in mosques would be suspended until further notice in both governorates. On 2 August, the Ministry of Endowments announced Friday and regular prayers in Damascus and Rural Damascus were suspended for 15 days starting 3 August; the suspension was lifted on 16 August
The Ministry said in a statement that the total number of Coronavirus cases registered in Syria has reached3731, of which 918patients have recovered and 168 have passed away.
The decrease in the number of critical and acute coronavirus cases has been translated through the lower rate of hospital admissions for Coronavirus patients, in the departments of the reception, isolation and intensive care units  ( ICU ) , according to Dr. al Amin who indicated that the rate of the admissions of the coronavirus patients to the hospitals in the aforementioned departments in which the number of beds amounted to 115, reached a hundred percent during the month of July, while the pressure has now decreased significantly and there is an availability in the beds.
Camp isolation spaces: There continue to be significant gaps in readiness of camp level isolation spaces. As previously reported, an NGO deployed an emergency surge team to bring the Al Hole isolation facility up to capacity.
The situation in Damascus remains critical. According to the Ministry of Health, there are 1,764 registered cases, of which 73 people died and 431 recovered; that leaves 1,271 cases active. Syria registered nearly 600 cases in one week, which is more than what it registered in the first five months after the appearance of the first case in the country in March.
[ December 2020, NW Syria ]  Meanwhile, a surge of COVID 19 cases was observed among populations in opposition held areas in northwest Syria, reaching around 20,204 cases of COVID 19 by the end of December. Representing a one third increase above the announced rate of COVID 19 cases at the end of November
Of the 251 cases officially registered between Sunday morning and Tuesday night, 61 were recorded in Aleppo, 45 in Latakia, 61 in Damascus, 14 in Sweida, 23 in Homs, 19 in Damascus Countryside, 9 in Hama, 9 in Hasakah, and 9 in Tartus. A total of 13 deaths were registered during those three days, four of which were in Damascus, three in Homs, one in Aleppo, two in Deir Ezzor, two in Hasakah, and one in Hama.
In Hama, an outbreak in the village of Karnaz was recorded early last week, with possibly 100 people affected. Residents of Hama have complained that no testing sites are available in the area, despite the rapid spread of the virus. Likewise, the Latakia outbreak continues to spread out of control, with 154 official cases recorded.
There have been six reported Coronavirus related deaths in Sweida so far. Sweida residents have been calling for resisting any attempt to send children back to school, as they say, hospitals in Damascus cannot care for those who are sick.
According to OCHA and the WHO, 69 of the confirmed Coronavirus cases in Syria thus far have been healthcare workers, most of them in Damascus. However, lists bearing the names of all the medical workers who died of the virus are being shared online, in addition to individual obituaries that have flooded Syrian social media. According to these local reports, Syrian healthcare staff is being ravaged by the virus. At least five doctors and one pharmacist died of COVID 19 in Aleppo on August 14 alone. On August 11, Dr. Tayseer Sabbagh, the Regional Director of the UNRWA Health Programme, died of COVID 19 at Al Kindi Hospital in Damascus.
This week, the Interim Government made mask wearing in public mandatory but said the SIG will provide these free of charge over a period of time. Other measures include the closing of internal crossing points, banning of large public events and celebrations, social distancing in markets and other communal spaces, reducing medical services to emergencies, among other things. Maintaining a low caseload is essential in the area, as the health service will rapidly become overwhelmed if the virus spreads.
It is widely believed that the true number of cases in the northeast far outstrips the number of recorded cases. A local organization says more than 50% of locally administered tests have returned positive, suggesting the caseload is high, though it is difficult to say how high due to the lack of testing and lack of coordination between the different testing mechanisms in the area.
On August 16, the AANES made wearing a mask compulsory in all public spaces starting Tuesday, August 18, imposing a 1,000 SYP penalty on violators. Just 7% of residents in NES have been wearing masks, according to recent research.
Meanwhile, five COVID 19 cases have been registered among health workers in the Al Hol IDP camp, where women and children believed to have links to ISIS, or who were living in ISIS final strongholds, are housed. No cases have been registered among the camp's residents. However, 24 people in the camp who had previously interacted with the infected health workers were tested and the results all returned negative. The outbreak in the IDP pocket of Shebha has now reached at least 30 cases, according to local sources.
On 9 July, The first confirmed case of COVID 19, which belonged to a health professional, was announced in northern Syria. As of 28 July, 30 people with COVID 19 have been identified in northwest Syria and a spike in numbers is feared between the seventh and eighth week from the first discovery
[ December 2020,NES ]  Between November and December 2020, the national average reduced Coping Strategy Index  ( rCSI )  increased from 17.9 to 18.5, with a peak recorded in Al Hasakeh  ( 22.1 ) . Hereby marking the highest national average level since the beginning of 2020. mVAM December data outlined that around 85 percent of the surveyed households mentioned applying at least one foodbased coping strategy, with the highest level recorded among female headed households  ( 92 percent ) .
Gaps and constrains in the country include, inadequate supply of Personal Protective Equipment  ( PPE ) , the need to enhance laboratory and case investigations, and safe guarding of public health; preventing cross infections within and out of health facilities.
The livestock sector has been particularly affected by the COVID 19 control measures. The price of cattle and poultry feed, and day old chicks has doubled, while sheep farmers are facing constraints in accessing grazing land.
[ 2 April 2021 Damascus, GoS ]  The latest surge of the coronavirus, which many are referring to as a third wave, has overwhelmed hospitals to the extent that COVID 19 patients are being transferred outside the city for treatment, according to the health ministry.
[ December 2020, Syria ]  Moreover, four out of five interviewed households reported having already depleted their savings in December 2020 due to the worsening economic situation across the country. This indicates increasing pressure on the Syrian population to meet their food consumption needs and shows marked reductions in households' coping capacity to face off further shocks.
[ December 2020, Syria ]  According to residency status, the main deterioration of inadequate food consumption was reported among returnee households  ( 55 percent )  in December, marking a 40 percent increase since July 2020, with a two fold rise of the poor food consumption level recorded a month earlier. Moreover, the total share of displaced and resident households with poor and borderline food consumption hiked up to 47 and 41 percent, respectively, in December 2020.
[ 7th oct 2020 Overall Syria ] The daily curfew remains lifted, as does the travel ban between and within governorates. Public places, including markets, restaurants, cafes, gyms, parks, theaters, cinemas and most leisure facilities remain open, with mandated precautionary measures. Mosques and churches are open, with physical distancing requirements.
[ December 2020 ]  In December 2020, more than four out irve interviewed households in Syria  ( 83 percent )  reported staying permanently indoors and continued taking precautionary and social distancing measures against COVID 19. Though this trend remained high at national level, it witnessed a decrease by 10 percent since July 2020. At the governorate level, around nine out of ten households in Quneitra, AlHasakeh and Rural Damascus indicated avoiding crowded places to mitigate the pandemic outbreak in December
[ December 2020, Syria ]  In December 2020, 45 percent of interviewed households reported that they had lost one or more sources of income because of COVID 19 related restrictions over the past month. This was the case even among breadwinners having university degrees  ( 35 percent ) . Though this trend witnessed a decrease nationwide  ( down by nearly a third since July 2020 ) , most Syrian populations continued facing difficulties in sustaining sources of income amid the ongoing economic crisis
Under the Humanitarian Response Plan for 2020, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations  ( FAO )  is increasing its support to improve agricultural production and enhance livelihoods, as well as strengthen food security coordination
Breakdown of the cases is as follows: 28 cases, including medical staff in HTS held areas in Idlib, parts of Aleppo, Hama and Latakia, and 29 cases in the areas controlled by Turkish backed factions, north of Aleppo.
Health authorities have recorded three new coronavirus cases, one in Bab al Salama camp, the other in al Bab city in Aleppo countryside, and the third in Taftanaz town in Idlib countryside.
gradual decrease in the number of infected people was observed compared to last July, as the number of admissions for cases suspected of contracting the virus in the hospital reached more than eighty patients per day and the number of swabs sent to the central laboratory was about 20 swabs a day, but the numbers have decreased since the beginning of last August, as the number of admissions in the first week of it reached 23 patients per day, and in the second week the average was 16 patients per day, while the number of the admissions for patients suspected of contracting the virus to the hospital is currently 12 patients a day.
Markets, restaurants, cafes, gyms, public parks, theatres, cinemas and most leisure facilities are now allowed to open, so long as precautionary COVID 19 measures are adopted. Mosques and churches are also open, including for group prayers, provided physical distancing is observed. Public and private transportation services have also resumed, as have universities and institutions. However, a number of public areas in Aleppo remained closed following the death of a COVID 19 patient on 27 June
According to Dr. Makhoul, the reason behind the increase in cases in Lattakia is due to the large movement which the province has witnessed during the holidays and the arrival of many from other provinces, which had a role in the increase in the coronavirus outbreak.
Of the 2,440 cases confirmed by the Syrian Ministry of Health, the majority cannot be traced to a known source.
There are Seven Point of Entries  ( PoEs )  serving the response for COVID 19: Bab Al Hawa, Bab Al Salameh, Jarablus, Al Rae'e, Hamamat, Al Ghazawiya and Deir Ballout. In July, about 275,383 travellers were screened within the 7 POEs through medical staff of WHO implementing partners SRD and IDA.
To support the awareness sessions in the community, UNICEF distributed 59,222 hygiene kits for 296,110 individuals and Corona Awareness Team  ( CAT )  members distributed 8,800 hygiene items and soap for 21,155 individuals.
Voicing concern about Syria's degraded health facilities, he said many people in the country   including students and those living in overcrowded camps   are now at serious risk of contracting the virus
A phone consultations system for beneficiaries in selfisolation or quarantine was established by SRD to provide consultations and needed information on COVID 19 precaution measures as well to help in booking an appointment in order to avoid crowdedness inside the health facilities: Refah Hospital Jendaris, Jarablus, Bazagha, Qubassin, Abin, Milis and Azmarin BEmONC facilities.
Following the announcement of positive COVID 19 cases in NWS, the PoEs in Al Ghazawia and Deir Balout cross lines were partially open on the 17th July 2020 with limited access for those with approval from local councils such as students, NGOs workers, etc. and military persons. In the 4th of week of July, the PoEs went back fully functional except Sarmin PoE
Also, 25 IPC training sessions were attended by 494 staff from health partners, were held in Idleb  ( 330 ) , Afrin  ( 120 )  and Aleppo  ( 44 ) .
On Case Management, of nine hospitals are dedicated to COVID 19 care: five are functional and four planned to function soon. Al Amal and Salkin hospitals  ( SAMS )  should start working on mid August while SEMA to update the timeline for its two hospitals.
[ 9th october overall syra ]  According to Observatory statistics, the number of confirmed cases, since July 9 to date, rose to 1,624, including medical staff and doctors
WHO continue providing support to sustain access to primary health care services, including child health, reproductive health, management of communicable and non communicable diseases. Those services are provided via 28 primary health care facilities and mobile teams, out of which seven are in Idleb, 17 in Afrin, and four are in Azaz and Al Bab.
There are four CCTs with capacity of 151 beds available in July 2020 and the effort doubled to push forward to have five CCTS functional  ( three centres by UOSSM in KafrKarmin and Atmeh and two centers for Al  Seeraj for Development and Health Care in Western Aleppo )  after long delay due to resistance from local councils to decide on the location to be established and limited HR availability
There are 100 banners for “Protection against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse'  ( PSEA ) , received from the International Organization of Migration  ( IOM ) . The banners are to be distributed to health cluster partners in line with the PSEA Training of Trainers  ( ToT )  to be held the third week of August 2020 for 60 future PSEA trainers from the Gaziantep Health Cluster partners.
Also, WHO provided PPEs and IPC materials, for one month consumption, to three isolation hospitals, two CCTCs and 133 triage points. Gloves and masks for 41 triage points were provided for three months, for 1,600 CHWs  ( for one month )  and to seven PoEs  ( for two weeks ) .
There are already 25 Ventilators  ( 10 in stock )  for three Isolation hospitals while in pipeline, 15 CPAP and 75 ventilators to be procured by Turkish Red Crescent Society  ( TRCS )  with SCHF funding, in addition to 69 oxygen concentrators and PPEs by WHO value at 2.7M USD.
On COVID 19, the IPC field team conducted IPC specialized training for the staff in the COVID 19 Community Treatment Centers  ( CCTS )  and was attended by 32 staff in Ariha and 17 staff in in Sheikh Baher.
Al Resala Foundation  ( RF )  continues providing primary health care consultations for the community and served 8,679 beneficiaries  ( 4,579 IDPs and 4,100 host community )  in two PHCs in Afrin and Shamarin  ( Al Resala Camp )  as well via two mobile clinics operating in Al Manarah Camp  ( Dana ) , Bulbul and Sharan. In line with the WHO's guidelines, the infection and prevention control measures for COVID 19 are applied in all Al Resala supported health facilities.
Coordination channels were active in July with the Syrian Turkish Taskforce, the Hatay Health Directorate  ( HD )  and the Kilis HD in order to facilitate COVID 19 data sharing in addition to push on testing and “contact' tracing. The result of this coordination comes with an agreement to consider the health facilities in the Turkish controlled area, especially Al Baba and Al Rae'e hospitals, as part of the COVID 19's response. More negotiation is ongoing with the Turkish MoH for further training under laboratory pillar as well to share the Turkish experience of Turkish doctors to Syrian doctors in case management for moderate to critical COVID 19 in patients.
Twelve cases were reported from Aleppo governorate, with 9 from Al Bab district. Also, 19 cases were reported from Idlib governorate, with 13 from Harim district. There were 15 males and 16 females, with the average age of cases as 30 years old and range from 2 to 63 years old. Two cases were under five years of age, and one case was over 60 years old. Among the cases 14  ( 45% )  were healthcare workers, that included physicians, nurses, and a dental technician
Under the Risk communication and community engagement  ( RCCE )  pillar, two community surveys were conducted for community members and community leaders. There are 52 partners covering 11 districts and provided 737,250 awareness sessions through 30 activities. About 3,344 health workers were trained through the RCCE in addition to the vaccination mobilizers
The main challenge goes to the community behaviour and knowledge on COVID 19's risk when 17% of community leaders considered is not dangerous in addition to 9% of the community. As well, part of the health staff is not convinced about the level of risk, so they are not following the IPC measures. Also, the absence of a central authority, nationwide TV or radio service stands as a challenge avoiding the centralization and to unify the communication for a better impact on the community
The CHWs in Al Salama camp boosted the effort to provide awareness sessions about COVID 19's risk to the IDPs in the camps stressing on importance of quarantine for close contacts of the first 2 cases. The CHWs, in close collaboration with ACU/EWARN are encouraging the contacts to seek testing as well to abide to basic risk mitigation preventive rules such as usage of masks, physical distancing and avoiding crowded areas.
Health authorities in areas held by the “Self Administration' have recorded five coronavirus cases, one of which is a woman.
The “Self Administration' has imposed a curfew on al Jazeera region, banning the traffic of buses inside the cities and the entire movement of traffic between al Jazeera region and other departments, except commercial vehicles.
Northwest: New appearance of new COVID 19 infections in Syria's northwest appears to be slowing, with only two cases reported since August 20. As of Tuesday, there are 61 registered infections in Idlib, 52 of whom recovered and one died. However, just 371 of 656 identified contacts of known cases have been tested, meaning it is possible that some cases remain unidentified
In a statement to SANA, the ministry indicated that the toll of coronavirus infections in the country has reached so far 3614, of which 871 cases have recovered while 160 others have passed away.
Damascus, SANA The daily coronavirus infection toll retreated in Syria with recording 38 new cases in comparison to 60 infections last Friday.
Health Ministry announced on Tuesday that 38 new coronavirus cases were registered in Syria and that 13 infections have recovered while 3 others have passed away.
This brings the number of infected people in SDF controlled areas to 30, all of whom are under quarantine.
On July 31, the civil council in Al Raqqa city issued a decree imposing a curfew and strict preventive measures on civilians in the city, as three coronavirus cases confirmed.
Points of Entry Status: As of 23 July, the SA formally announced the closure of all land border crossings into NES from both KRI and GoS areas in all but emergency cases.
The joint presidency of northern and eastern Syria had issued a circular announcing an official holiday to all its public entities, coinciding with the arrival of Eid al Adha.
Gatherings were also generally banned in places such as sports centres, public places, swimming pools and cafés, during the Eid al Adha period.
Additionally, the lack of awareness of the risks, symptoms, treatments, and access to treatment of the disease were cited by doctors as concerns. On August 20, Syria received medical supplies in aid from Iran.
Cases also continue to spread across different government held governorates of Syria: Of the 222 cases registered between Sunday morning and Tuesday night, 64 were in Damascus; 48 in Aleppo; 37 in Latakia; 18 in Sweida; 17 in Hama; 14 in Homs, nine in Rural Damascus, eight in Daraa, three in Quneitra, and two in Deir Ezzor. Of the deaths from the three days, four were in Damascus, three in Homs, one in Rural Damascus, one in Latakia and one in Aleppo.
One doctor who is providing help on social media who spoke to Syria in Context said they were treating 50 100 people per day, figures which corresponded to those of a similar project
Further concerns surround the end of the school hiatus across the country. The government has decided to reopen schools on September 13 after having reviewed recommendations made by the Ministry of Health, a move that is worrying doctors and communities.
Currently there have been 54 and 253 cases of COVID 19 in the northwest and northeast, respectively.
At the same time, testing in northwest Syria is limited, and there have only been 4,680 tests conducted thus far in the area.
The novel coronavirus  ( COVID 19 )  case load in Syria has significantly spiked in the last month, reaching 2,118 cases and 89 deaths across the country at the time of publishing.
In statement to SANA, the Health Ministry indicated that the infections' toll registered in Syria have reached to 3765 so far, of which 932 cases have recovered while 170 ones have passed away.
There are approximately 30 cases the al Shahba region in Aleppo. The al Shahba region is populated by 200,000 people, mostly IDPs from Afrin, and has limited access to adequate healthcare facilities.
The scale of unreported cases in Damascus received renewed attention this week when four out of five members of the constitutional committee arriving from Damascus tested positive for the virus on arrival
Meanwhile, the Damascus governorate has attempted to placate public speculation by announcing an implausible drop in daily deaths over the past week.
[ 3rd March 2021, NES ]  In Al Hol camp, from the initial findings, indicating low levels of knowledge and practice of prevention and health seeking behaviors, rapid stop gap measures are being actioned while joint development of the report is underway.
[ 7th oct 2020 Overall Syria ] Public and private transportation services have resumed, as have schools, universities and institutions. Whilst the re imposition of broad based restrictions by the GoS is not anticipated due to economic and social impacts, the enforcement of localized lockdowns is possible. Recently, ad hoc suspension of prayers in some locations has been reported, as well as closures of wedding halls and some schools/classrooms where students or teachers were confirmed to have contracted COVID 19.
Health Ministry announced on Sunday that 35 new Coronavirus  ( COVID 19 )  cases have been registered in Syria, and that 14 patients have recovered while 2 others have passed away.
The Interim Government's Directorate of Health in Idlib published an online questionnaire to help people figure out whether they possibly have COVID 19 or not.Respondents can select the symptoms they may be experiencing, whether they have travelled outside the northwest recently, whether they have been in contact with someone who entered the area in the past 14 days, as well as other risk factors.
The resolution did not approve the Bab al Salam crossing on Syria's border with Turkey, through which aid had continued until yesterday, as well as Al Yarubiyah and Al Ramtha on the country's borders with Iraq and Jordan, through which deliveries had moved from 2014 to early January 2020
After several failed attempts in recent days, the Security Council today adopted a resolution extending authorization of a mechanism that brings life saving humanitarian aid into Syria for another year, through one Turkish border crossing.
A curfew in NES has been extended until August 27 in an effort to prevent the virus from spreading. Since August 18, wearing a mask in public spaces has been compulsory, with the AANES imposing a modest penalty of 1,000 SYP on those who are seen without one.
[ Security Council resolutions are currently adopted through a written procedure vote under temporary, extraordinary and provisional measures implemented in response to the COVID 19 pandemic, as set out in a letter  ( document S/2020/253 )  by its President for March
The survey was conducted in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Jordan among 1,599 displaced children aged 6 17, between 28 June and 9 July 2020. 88 per cent said they were stressed because of Covid 19. 75 per cent of those stressed by Covid 19 feared catching the disease. 48 per cent said they feared someone they loved would get the virus. On average, children in the region reported feeling 45 per cent more stressed than before the pandemic.
In Al Hol camp in north east Syria, 12 health facilities had to suspend operations this month due to staff becoming infected, having to self isolate, or due to lack of personal protective equipment. Both field hospitals at the camp have since resumed operations.
[ 4th November 2020, Syria ]  Tawil considered that the main reason for the spread of the coronavirus in the winter are gatherings in closed places and to the similarity of coronavirus symptoms to influenza symptoms.
[ 4th November 2020, Syria ]  The number of coronavirus infections in Syria rose, as of Monday, to 5,843 cases, including 2,061 recoveries and 259 deaths, according to MOH figures.
[ Sep 24, Northwest Syria ]   [ # of COVID 19 cases ]  According to the statistics of the Syrian Observatory, the number of COVID 19 cases since July 9 have reached 760 cases, including doctors and health staff.
Rising patient numbers are adding pressure to the fragile health system. Many are reluctant to seek care at medical facilities, leading to more severe complications when they do arrive. Health workers still lack sufficient personal protective equipment and associated supplies.
Al Hol has also been affected by renewed disruptions in water supply from the Alouk water station over the past month. Water supply from Alouk was interrupted at least 13 times this year, impacting some 460,000 civilians in Al Hasakeh governorate.
WHO is leading an inter agency technical mission to Al Hol this week to look at how health coverage at the camp can be improved despite the immense challenges posed by COVID 19 and by the severe staffing and supply shortages that pre date the pandemic.
[ February 25, Syria ]  The Minister of Health, Dr. Hassan Al Ghobash, announced today that the Ministry of Health will start giving the vaccine against the Covid 19 virus to health workers who are on the front lines to treat virus patients, starting next week in various governorates.
On 22 August power supply from the Tishrin Dam resumed to the Mabrouka and Derbasieh electricity stations, after which nine out of 34 boreholes at Alouk started producing water. Technical teams were able to carry out essential repairs at the station on 25 August.
The dire conditions in these areas parallel the extreme needs prevalent across other parts of the northwest, where deteriorating circumstances continue to increase reliance on humanitarian assistance and diminish positive coping strategies.
Despite the arrival of testing machines in NES in recent weeks, testing rates remain low and the rate of positive tests remains high. This suggests community spread is entrenched and true caseloads are higher than reported. The highest number of registered cases is in the city of Qamishli, where at least 45 infections were recorded since August 22.
Without the border access, many NGOs will be unable to carry out their activities thus creating “a vacuum of service delivery and putting upwards of a million people at risk of acute food insecurity.
Nearly 8 million people are food insecure, only half the country's health facilities are fully functional, and with the looming threat of Covid 19 and famine, Syrians more than ever will be relying on the lifesaving aid that comes through the Turkish Syrian border  ( OCHA, 2020; WFP, 2020 ) .
[ 1st October, overall Syria ]  There continues to be significant transmission among health workers and through health facilities, indicating both the high risk to health workers, as well as poor adherence to basic preventative measures
Due to the low pumping capacity and a further disruption on 25 August, water has yet to reach AlHasakeh. In response to the water shortages, humanitarian partners have been delivering an estimated 2,500 m3 of water to the area per day. But this is neither a sufficient nor a sustainable solution.
( September23, NWS )  The increased number of people in need in NWS is compounded by the reduced number of border crossings for humanitarian assistance, which have been reduced to a single point in Idlib Governorate.
Concerns about weather conditions remain prominent. Needs related to coping with heat and sun exposure are presently increasing, and winter preparation efforts, soon to commence, are expected to further strain people's finances, especially in light of rising costs.
While the total number remains relatively low, the sharp spike  ( an approximate 500 percent increase )  in COVID 19 patients at the end of July and beginning of August is worrisome. In addition, low testing rates only 556 tests have been conducted thus far as of August 8 suggest the true number of cases could be much higher.
[ 20th December, 2020, Overall Syria ]  The Health Ministry on Sunday announced that 145 new coronavirus cases were recorded in Syria, adding that 49 patients recovered and 9 others passed away.
( September23, NWS ) The threat of a COVID 19 outbreak is aggravating the economic downturn and constraining humanitarian response further – a situation that could have severe impacts in NWS as well as across the whole region.
[ 24th September , Overall Syria  ]  This comes as the pandemic spreads in the areas of north western Syria, amid poor health sector and the lack of medical supplies and equipment
( September23, NWS )  Almost 3 in 10 children under the age of five suffer from stunting and acute malnutrition is rising.
[ 1st October ] Deir ez Zor: Over the past two weeks, there has only been 1 new confirmed cases of COVID 19 in Deirez Zor. As in other areas, the low number of confirmed cases does not reflect the actual scale or scope of transmission in Deir ez Zor
( September23, NWS )  22% increase in bread prices from April to May 2020. More than 30% of bakeries no longer operational.
In late April, the government began lifting some coronavirus restrictions, but these measures caused panic buying and sharp increases in food prices. This was compounded by a rapid fall in thevalue of the Syrian pound, which traded at 3,000 to the US dollar on the black market  ( as opposed to 47 to the dollar before the civil war ) .
In Al Hole camp, the RCCE sub committee has started an awareness campaign around the isolation centre which also aims to address unfounded rumours/ conspiracies related to it. In Areesha, there have been similar challenges around adherence to measures which will be implemented in the event of confirmed/ suspected cases.
( September23, NWS )  Low testing rates, a weak health system and crowded camps threaten an already alarming situation.
Families in 75 percent of communities in these areas reportedly cannot afford essential food items, and half of the communities have insufficient access to water. In the context of the COVID 19 outbreak, these conditions increase the risk of transmission among this highly vulnerable population.
[ 24th September , Overall Syria  ]  According to Observatory statistics, the number of confirmed cases, since July 9 to date, rise to 760, including medical staff and doctors.
[ February 25, Syria ]  The studies conducted by the Ministry showed that 6.7 percent of the confirmed injuries are non accidental, and that the rate of proven infection among health workers is about 3.6 percent, which indicates the prevalence of injuries among workers involved in providing health services, especially frontline workers who care for Covid 19 patients.
[ 20th December, 2020, Overall Syria ]  In a statement, the ministry noted that the total number of coronavirus infections recorded in Syria has reached up to 10,195, of which 4,786 have recovered and 610 have passed away.
A plane of the Syrian Airlines carrying 186 Syrian citizens stranded abroad landed at Damascus International Airport on Thursday coming from Jordanian capital of Amman in the framework of the government's efforts to return those who are stranded abroad, Transport Ministry said in a statement.
This flight is one of three flights on the Syrian Airlines from Jordan, Russia and United Arab Emirates which the Ministry has announced to run between 17 and 21 of the current month.
In the past six months the number of food food insecure people has risen dramatically. The most food insecure areas include Lattakia, Ar Raqqa and Aleppo. In May 2020, there were an estimated 6 million people with insufficient food consumption, while 6.4 million people were using negative coping mechanisms.
The prices of agricultural inputs  ( including seeds and fertilizers )  and raw materials have increased, ultimately resulting in high retail prices of products.
Transportation costs have generally increased by about 30 percent, and by even more in remote areas, affecting the delivery of produce to markets.
Some of the most adopted coping mechanisms included reliance on less nutritious food, borrowing food, and restricting adult consumption to feed children. Vulnerable populations, including displaced people and female headed households are greater risk of food insecurity
[ November 2020, Overall Syria ]  The pandemic and its secondary impacts are threatening food security in all countries in the Middle East and are of particular concern in Lebanon, Iraq, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen, which host vast populations of refugees and IDPs
Breeders could continue to have limited or no access to necessary feed to maintain milk production during the critical July to September period, which could result in below average body conditions and reduced milk production. Such conditions will further aggravate the challenges faced by the most vulnerable livestock keepers to sustain their livelihoods and access to food over the coming six months.
Anticipatory action is critical to safeguard the livelihoods of vulnerable farmers and herders affected by movement restrictions and other COVID 19 control measures.
Shortage of labour for the summer harvest : Although COVID 19 has had a relatively limited impact on the ongoing agricultural season, labour shortages could continue throughout the harvest, which typically ends in July.
Cash+ in the form of cash transfers and provision of inputs for household gardening and small stock rearing  ( vegetable and poultry )  The focus of this intervention is to support vulnerable households during the critical times in which COVID 19 mitigation measures are in place, especially labourers who lost their jobs, female headed households and people with disabilities; and to minimize post harvest losses following the main wheat harvest from August onward
Cash+ in the form of cash transfers and provision of agricultural inputs to small scale farmers to cushion the impact of high input costs ahead of the wheat and barley seasons, which typically begin in October.
On 31 May 2020, the recent sharp depreciation of the country's currency led to the Government raising the 2020 purchasing price of wheat from SYP 225 to SYP 400  ( around USD 0.44 to USD 0.77 )  per kg to support farmer's incomes and increase the stock of domestically procured wheat
Fisheries on the internal rivers  ( mainly in Al Ghab and Deir ez Zor )  were already severely damaged due to the conflict, and are essentially out of operation now due to the added restrictions
So far, FAO has provided animal feed to increase production and protect livelihood assets; distributed vegetable seeds and established nurseries to increase the availability of vegetables in local communities and improve nutrition of vulnerable households, particularly female headed households; increased the availability of improved seeds through multiplication of early generation seeds; vaccinated livestock to improve animal health and increase livestock productivity; improved access to water through infrastructure rehabilitation and installation of alternative energy sources; and provided capacity building on agricultural technical subjects as well as entrepreneurship, marketing and project management
The spread of COVID 19 is further exacerbating the impacts of the crisis. The average number of new cases has been increasing daily since 23 May
Some of the measures the Government has been using to control the spread of the virus include movement restrictions between cities, a curfew, banning public gatherings and shutdown of economic activities
The control measures in place to curb the spread of COVID 19 were loosened in May. There is a high risk that this could result in an increase in COVID 19 cases, leading to tighter restrictions being imposed from July 2020 until the epidemic curve flattens  ( estimated to be around October 2020 )
Health Ministry announced on Saturday that 34 new Coronavirus cases were registered in the country and 14 cases have recovered while 2 ones have passed away.
[ November 3 2020,NorthEast Syria ]  While there has been an increase in testing, under testing due to limited testing capacity and low detection/ surveillance capacity remains a challenge
[ 20th December, 2020, Overall Syria ]  The ministry said in a statement that the total number of Coronavirus cases registered in Syria up till now has reached up to 9,302, of which 4,432 have recovered and 530 have passed away.
But the commission noted how Syria faces new strains linked to the coronavirus pandemic, a currency and economic crisis, and stiff new sanctions by the United States on top of the war's devastating toll over nearly 10 years.
The panel urged an easing of sanctions that compound the effect of lags in humanitarian aid deliveries because of COVID 19, and urged countries to take back their nationals who are the children of armed fighters from the ISIL  ( ISIS )  group and women held by the thousands in squalid camps.
In reality, it is likely that exponential growth is occurring; the number of daily confirmed cases is closely linked to case detection and testing capacity. Detection capacity is weak across NES, but particularly in areas outside Hassakeh  ( see Surveillance, RRT and Contact Tracing Update ) . This has resulted in significant undertesting
The Syrian Pound has stabilized since falling to its lowest ever recorded informal rate in June. This has also reduced food inflation. Food prices are still rising, but they are doing so at a much slower rate: The average price of WFP's national reference food basket increased by three per cent from June to July, after surging 48 per cent from May to June.
( Syria June 2020 )  butchers are reporting that sales of lamb meat are down 80 percent compared to levels last year, due to the high price of meat and people's low purchasing power which had a heavy impact the meat industry.
One of the impacts of COVID 19 in Syria has been a disruption in some commercial supply chains. Commercial supply chains may also be impacted, to varying degrees, by the explosion at the port of Beirut.
Focal points note that if their communities experience COVID 19 symptoms they would most likely to go to a health provider  ( 55% )  or self isolate  ( 34% ) . Communities in high density sub districts are less likely to self isolate  ( 17% )  than those in lowdensity sub districts  ( 43% ) .Only 3% of those living in low density sub districts would call a health provider.
Overall, adherence to precautionary measures in July is similar to that in June. Practising good hygiene, such as handwashing, is the most widely adopted measure  ( 75% ) . 21% report wearing masks, down from 31% in May. In REACH's NWS Rapid Market Assessment, 14% of vendors in Idleb reported that facemasks were less available due to higher prices as a result of the depreciation of the Syrian pound.
[ 27th August Overall Syria ]  The number of confirmed cases among healthcare workers is likely considerably higher with reports that some health workers displaying symptoms have not been tested and a lack of visibility on transmission in some hospitals  ( particularly military hospitals e.g. in Hassakeh and Derik, both of which have reportedly closed at various points for disinfection over recent weeks ) . Of particular concern is the continued impact that transmission among health workers is having on health service continuity