About › Forums › COVID-19 forum › How does COVID-19 effect local peace building in Syria?
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Riina Isotalo.
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Riina Isotalo
GuestNot surprisinly, in Syria as well as in other areas that were crisis ridden before the pandemic, COVID-19 effects are gendered and hit hardest those already at danger. So far the effects have been mainly economic and there is no evidence of rapid increase in confirmed cases. This is a relief in a situation where the health infrastructure is already scretched and partly collapsed due to the almost 9 years of war. The amount of test kits, masks, respiratory machines and intensive care units is totally insufficient especially in the North, North East and North West. The Syrian government has not officially committed to the global ceasefire; neither has Turkey. Russia, however, is among the signatories to the global ceasefire. For example in Idlib, armed conflict hostilities have decreased approximately 30% since the UN appeal for global ceasefire due to the pandemic and many refugees have returned to Idlib fearing they would catch corona during their flight.
The ongoing civic crisis since october 2029 in the neighbouring Lebanon – the economic lungs of Syria – together with the economic sanctions and the pandemic have accelerated the already steep inflation, leading to food insecurity particularly among already vulnerable groups. Some analysts are warning against famine at least among those already poor. Seeds and fertilizers are expensive, which, when combined to partial curfews, endangers the next harvest as conditions for agriculture are dire. According to Syria Initiative’s partners, there has been a steep increase in domestic violence that in practice means violence against women and children. Due to the curfews and economic hardship, victims can’t resort to their usual copic strategies such escaping to the women’s natal or relatives’ homes. Women’s parents or other relatives can’t necessary affort to feed the extra mouths. Also the numbers of divorces and child (most often the girl is under-aged) marriages have increased during the COVID-19.
Syria Initiative’s team members in the area are facilitating meetings and dialogues online instead of face-to-face and while doing so, are providing the participants with COVID-19 awareness about the importance of social distance and sanitation. Political processes are ceased because of the pandemic constrains that do not allow meeting face-to-face. The pandemic has added daily stressors of the population and thereby decreased the psychosocial well-being further.
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