Millions of Syrian refugees at at severe risk if the coronavirus pandemic reaches their camps.
Dr Amani Ballour, a paediatrician from Syria who ran an underground hospital in Eastern Ghouta and who was the central character in the documentary The Cave, told TVNZ1's Breakfast this morning we need to act now to protect these vulnerable people.
According to World Vision, since civil war broke out in 2011 about 5.6 million Syrians are refugees, and another 6.2 million people are displaced within Syria. Nearly 12 million people in Syria need humanitarian assistance.
"The condition in the north camps, in north west is catastrophe," Dr Ballour said, talking about hospitals bombed, civilians killed and millions people displaced in the past few months.
"The camps already is overcrowded, but about 20 million people, they have no where to go, so they are under trees, they are sleeping in the street, and now this pandemic is already in our neighbours country so we are very worried and afraid about these people.
"They have nothing there, they have no hospitals, no access to health services - so it's a very bad situation.
"If this pandemic reaches them it will be a disaster."
Dr Ballour said, "the world has to take the responsibility to help these people now."
She said they needed sterlisation kits, medical supplies and medicine, new bathrooms and clinics, and for people to bring awareness to the vulnerable group.
"They don't have water," she said, explaining in some cases 100 families shared a single bathroom. "They can't even wash their hands, they have no soap."
She also said many refugees don't even know about the coronavirus pandemic because they don't have electricity or television.
"They are not healthy people because of their circumstances ... they are very risky, vulnerable people. If this coronavirus reaches them that would be horrible.
"It's not late, they can protect these people now."
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