ArticleInternational journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases2021
Weaponizing water as an instrument of war in Syria: Impact on diarrhoeal disease in Idlib and Aleppo governorates, 2011-2019.
Article in International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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10 citing papers in PubMed, 47 citations in OpenAlex.
- Climate change, armed conflict, forced displacement, and epidemic-prone diseases: an exploratory study in northern Syria.BMC public health · 2025Article
- The early warning and response systems in Syria: A functionality and alert threshold assessment.IJID regions · 2025Article
- Public health implications of satellite-detected widespread damage to WASH infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- Cholera Outbreaks in Low- and Middle-Income Countries in the Last Decade: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Microorganisms · 2024Review
- Exploring relationships between conflict intensity, forced displacement, and healthcare attacks: a retrospective analysis from Syria, 2016-2022.Conflict and health · 2024Article
- "Actually, the psychological wounds are more difficult than physical injuries:" a qualitative analysis of the impacts of attacks on health on the personal and professional lives of health workers in the Syrian conflict.Conflict and health · 2023Article
- Unimproved water and sanitation contributes to childhood diarrhoea during the war in Tigray, Ethiopia: a community based assessment.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Disruption to water supply and waterborne communicable diseases in northeast Syria: a spatiotemporal analysis.Conflict and health · 2023Article
- Water and war: The effect of functioning chlorinated water stations in reducing waterborne diseases during conflict in northwest Syria, 2017-2021.PLOS global public health · 2023Article
- The health of internally displaced people in Syria: are current systems fit for purpose?Journal of migration and health · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 9 institutions in 4 countries.
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Abstract
objectivesInvestigate the weaponization of water during the Syrian conflict and the correlation of attacks on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure in Idlib and Aleppo governorates with trends in waterborne diseases reported by Early Warning and Response surveillance systems.
methodsWe reviewed literature and databases to obtain information on attacks on WASH in Aleppo and Idlib governorates between 2011 and 2019. We plotted weekly trends in waterborne diseases from two surveillance systems operational in Aleppo and Idlib governorates between 2015 and early 2020.
resultsThe literature review noted several attacks on water and related infrastructure in both governorates, suggesting that WASH infrastructure was weaponized by state and non-state actors. Most interference with WASH in the Aleppo governorate occurred before 2019 and in the Idlib governorate in the summer of 2020. Other acute diarrhea represented >90% of cases of diarrhea; children under 5 years contributed 50% of cases. There was substantial evidence (p < 0.001) of an overall upward trend in cases of diarrheal disease.
conclusionsThough no direct correlation can be drawn between the weaponization of WASH and the burden of waterborne infections due to multiple confounders, this research introduces important concepts on attacks on WASH and their potential impacts on waterborne diseases.
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