Officially so far, no cases of coronavirus have been reported in Syria. But this official version is questioned by the opposition. Five countries bordering Syria – Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel – have all recorded cases, and sometimes deaths. Last week, the Syrian authorities announced a series of measures to prevent the spread of the virus: closure of schools, universities and technical institutes from March 14 until April 2, cessation of all scientific and cultural activities, social and sports, ban on hookahs in cafes and restaurants, reduction of the number of civil servants to 40% of the workforce with timetables will be limited.
Fighters probably infected, a relative break
So what impact does the coronavirus have on a country at war like Syria? This is the question posed to Francis Balanche, a geographer specializing in Syria and a professor at the University of Lyon.
“Coronavirus has had no impact on fighting in Syria because conflict has been on hold since March 5 ceasefire agreement between Russia and Turkey in Idleb, before coronavirus spreads among the fighters. On the other hand, there are undoubtedly infected troops, in particular those coming from Iran, from Pakistan. Fighters from Shiite militias are hit. They may have contaminated part of the Syrian army. But there is no communication about it. The Syrian government has stopped conscription. He no longer recruits new soldiers because of the coronavirus. There is some concern in the military.
The fighting should pause because a regular army cannot fight when it is infected, but this is not necessarily the case for jihadists who live on another planet imagining that Allah will protect them and take advantage of it to harass them. Syrian army in Idleb province “.
What are the risks of spread?
The danger of the virus spreading is worrying, especially in the fighting zone like Idleb, with nearly a million people displaced since December and medical infrastructure devastated after nine years of war. For Francis Balanche, the risk is there.
“On the side of the Syrian government, there are no reported cases. Syria is still a fairly confined country due to the war. The Syrians do not do tourism abroad. The population is withdrawn closed cells limit spread. But population weakened by war, there are concentrations of displaced populations in the north, in Idleb province. NGOs have noted symptoms that may resemble coronavirus . If it spreads among these populations, it would be a real slaughter. “
In the Kurdish zone, the border with Iraq has been closed for three weeks. “But of course it’s difficult to ask for confinement from people who have to queue for bread, gas… The country must remain closed, compartmentalized, but I doubt it. ”
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