Syrian families rely on polluted water as cholera cases surge

Across the border in Syria, officials and UN agencies announced last month a cholera outbreak was sweeping the entire country. The outbreak in Syria was due to people drinking unsafe water from the Euphrates River and using contaminated water to irrigate crops, according to the UN and the Syrian Health Ministry. In the government-held areas of Syria and in the country's north-east there have since been roughly 17,000 cases of cholera and 29 deaths. In the rebel-held Idlib province of Syria, most of the 4 million residents are displaced from the conflict. They depend on international aid and live in camps. Over half of Idlib has been left without regular access to water. Many families have used polluted water from wells that are close to sewage. There have been 3,104 cholera cases and five deaths in Idlib province.