First coronavirus-related death reported in northeast Syria

The Kurdish-led Self-Administration in Northeast Syria confirmed the first death from the coronavirus in the Al-Hasakah Governorate.

According to the Health Authority of the Self-Administration government, a 53-year-old passed away due to complications from the coronavirus.

The Health Authority said the man was treated at the National Hospital in Al-Qamishli, northern Al-Hasakah, but was unable to recover after fighting the illness for three weeks.

The Health Authority blamed the World Health Organization (WHO) for the death, saying that the man tested positive for the illness on March 22, but the case was kept private.

The WHO is “responsible for the emergence or spread of the coronavirus in the regions of northern and eastern Syria … because it was secretive of a suspected case and did not notify the self-management responsible for these areas.”

As of Friday evening, 33 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, including 2 dead, were recorded in Syria, but the World Health Organization has repeatedly warned of the possibility of a sharp deterioration of the situation in the country due to the repercussions of the war that has been going on for 9 years.