At least seven people have died in Syria amid a cholera outbreak that has ravaged Aleppo governorate in the north of the country.
The World Health Organisation expressed “serious concern” about the speed of the outbreak’s spread. It said cases had been found in the east of the country and the coastal governorate of Latakia, with five provinces affected in total.
The WHO said the outbreak could spread to all 14 provinces in the country if not quickly controlled.
In the east of the country, former ISIS stronghold Raqqa — a city that was largely destroyed in fighting to expel the terrorists in 2018, has reported cases. The neighbouring Deir-ez-Zor province has done likewise.
Both governorates are controlled by a Kurdish-Sunni anti-government alliance backed by the US known as the Syrian Democratic Forces. In the north-east, cases were also detected in Al Hasakeh province, which is also under SDF control.
The Syrian health ministry confirmed the deaths out of a total of 53 cases on Tuesday. Sewage contamination in the Euphrates, which runs through most of the affected governorates, was thought to be the cause of the outbreak.
The Kurdish-led administration in the east called on international agencies, “especially the World Health Organisation, to provide the necessary support to limit the spread of cholera".
Syria’s water infrastructure was already substandard before the country slipped into a bloody, decade-long civil war. The embers of this are still burning in the northern province of Idlib, which is occupied by Al Qaeda-linked rebels.
In Idlib, which hosts hundreds of refugee camps, most of the provinces 3.4 million people depend on foreign aid. Disease outbreaks in camps are common due to poor water quality, aid agencies say. Urban outbreaks in government-held areas have been less frequent, but still occur due to damage to water lines and treatment facilities after the conflict.
In 2009 — when the country suffered its last serious cholera outbreak ― 342 cases were reported in Deir-ez-Zor and Raqqa. These are governorates which suffered government neglect and later became central to the anti-government uprising, before being taken over by ISIS.
International health organisations have been warning for years that the country was at risk of a major disease outbreak. This is because so much water infrastructure has been destroyed by the war.
Cholera is generally contracted from contaminated food or water, and causes diarrhoea and vomiting.
It can spread in residential areas that lack proper sewerage networks or mains drinking water.
More than a decade of civil war has damaged two-thirds of Syria's water treatment plants, half of its pumping stations and one-third of its water towers, Unicef has said.
Nearly half the population relies on alternative and often unsafe sources of water while at least 70 per cent of sewage goes untreated, it added.
An outbreak of cholera hit neighbouring Iraq this summer for the first time since 2015.
Worldwide, the disease affects between 1.3 million and four million people each year, killing between 21,000 and 143,000 people.
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Recipe
Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo
Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Method
▶ Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.
▶ Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.
▶ Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking, remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.
▶ Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.
Profile
Company: Libra Project
Based: Masdar City, ADGM, London and Delaware
Launch year: 2017
Size: A team of 12 with six employed full-time
Sector: Renewable energy
Funding: $500,000 in Series A funding from family and friends in 2018. A Series B round looking to raise $1.5m is now live.
MATCH INFO
Red Star Belgrade v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight (Thursday), UAE
More on Quran memorisation:
On racial profiling at airports
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Honeymoonish
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
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SHAITTAN
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The specs
The specs: 2019 Audi Q8
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 340hp @ 3,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 2,250rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
Key fixtures from January 5-7
Watford v Bristol City
Liverpool v Everton
Brighton v Crystal Palace
Bournemouth v AFC Fylde or Wigan
Coventry v Stoke City
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Manchester United v Derby
Forest Green or Exeter v West Brom
Tottenham v AFC Wimbledon
Fleetwood or Hereford v Leicester City
Manchester City v Burnley
Shrewsbury v West Ham United
Wolves v Swansea City
Newcastle United v Luton Town
Fulham v Southampton
Norwich City v Chelsea
More coverage from the Future Forum
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
(All games 4-3pm kick UAE time) Bayern Munich v Augsburg, Borussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen, Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin, Wolfsburg v Mainz , Eintracht Frankfurt v Freiburg, Union Berlin v RB Leipzig, Cologne v Schalke , Werder Bremen v Borussia Monchengladbach, Stuttgart v Arminia Bielefeld
