Cholera outbreak in quake-hit northwestern Syria kills two people

The hospital, right, in the town of Harem in Syria's Idlib province close to the Turkish border is near buildings destroyed by the February 6 earthquakes and tents erected to house homeless residents. Supplies have been slow to arrive in the war-torn country, where years of conflict have ravaged the healthcare system, especially in rebel-held areas. [File: Aaref WATAD/AFP]

Two people have died of cholera in northwestern Syria after devastating earthquakes hit the region, emergency responders in the opposition-held area say.

The total number of cholera deaths recorded in the northwest since the outbreak began last year has now risen to 22 with another 568 non-fatal cases reported, the Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, said in a tweet on Tuesday.