Cholera continues to sweep through Syria and Lebanon at an alarming pace, leaving thousands sick and hundreds dead in its wake, with only a small fraction of cases officially registered in databases.

Nevertheless, it is clear that the number of cases of the bacterial disease in both countries is steadily increasing, with UNICEF estimating the total in Syria at 35,569 while the Ministry of Public Health puts that in Lebanon at 3,369. According to the EU, the causes of the outbreak in Syria include drought, economic decline, and the battered state of the country’s water infrastructure, which leaves 47% of the population relying on unsafe sources of water for their daily needs.

Cholera is contracted by ingesting contaminated food or drinking water and causes intestinal problems and dehydration that can be fatal unless treated quickly. The key to fighting off the disease is good hygiene and clean water, yet in some remote and undeveloped areas in Syria access to these is scarce, meaning there is a real chance that the number of cases could soar.