The World Health Organization representative in the East Mediterranean warned Friday of the repercussions of a potential spread of the novel coronavirus in the region's war-torn countries.
"The emergence of the virus in much more vulnerable countries with fragile health systems in the region, including Syria and Libya, is of special concern," said WHO East Mediterranean Office Director Ahmed Al Mandhari.
On Wednesday, the count of infectious cases in Syria rose to five. A day earlier, Libya recorded its first confirmed COVID-19 case.
"A country like Syria, ravaged by conflict and displacement, and with a health system already pushed to its limits, will clearly be overburdened by an outbreak of COVID-19, and the impact could be catastrophic," he added in a statement issued Friday.
Libya's ongoing civil war coupled with its poor health system weakens the country's ability to respond to the new pandemic, added Mandhari.
