“ God is my refuge and He will deliver me from the deadly pestilence.”
[Oct.13.2022] Cholera is spreading in some Middle East Countries east of the Mediterranean, raising concerns.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Health announced on October 6th that the country had reported the first case of cholera in about 30 years.
According to reports, the previous day, a case of cholera infection was confirmed in a rural area in northern Akar, which borders Syria. The patient is currently receiving treatment and is in stable condition, the Lebanese state news agency NNA said.
The last time Cholera was reported was in 1993 about 30 years ago. Lebanon’s health minister Firas Abiad said: “It is very likely that cholera spread across the border from neighboring Syria, where cholera spread in the community was confirmed.”
In Syria, where civil war has been raging since 2011, dozens of deaths have been reported as cholera has recently spread across the country. The Syrian Ministry of Health said in a statement on the 5th that an outbreak of cholera in 11 out of 14 states has been confirmed, reporting 594 cases and 39 deaths.
Most of the deaths were reported in northern Aleppo. The most recent spread of cholera in Syria was in 2009 when more than half of the water treatment facilities and pumping stations were destroyed by the civil war.
Authorities estimate that cholera in Syria is likely to have originated from pollution in the Euphrates River. Some analysts say that severe drought, heat, and a decrease in river flow due to the construction of dams upstream of the river in Turkyeh caused pollution in Euphrates.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that “there have been more than 10,000 suspected cases in Syria in the past six weeks” and that “the situation is developing at an alarming rate and spreading to another regions.”
Richard Brennan, WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said: “We are concerned about the spread of the virus across borders. But we are taking important precautions. It is important to protect the most vulnerable.”
Worldwide, 1.3 to 4 million people are infected with cholera every year, and 21,000 to 143,000 die from it. (Source: Yonhap News)
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings, you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. (Psalms 91:2-4)
God, through the epidemic that spreads in Syria and some Middle Eastern countries, help us to realise our incompetence and give us the grace to know that You are our only saviour for our finite life. We pray that medicine to cure will soon be developed to stop the spread of cholera and prevent any further deaths. May all the churches of this land bring Your gospel of love and life and mercy to these people and the souls of the Middle East trust in the Lord who is their refuge and meet the living God.
Prayer 24·365
prayer@prayer24365.org
