Lebanon: Cholera fears for communities uprooted by war
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said a response plan had been activated to increase surveillance, contact tracing and water sampling.
The case was confirmed in Akkar, the country’s northernmost province.
Speaking in Geneva late Wednesday, Tedros noted that Lebanese health authorities launched an oral vaccination drive in August targeting 350,000 people.
But This medical campaign was “interrupted due to escalating violence”He said, referring to the increased exchange of fire between Hezbollah and the Israeli army since the Gaza war broke out last October and Israel’s stepped-up attacks last month, amid ongoing attacks. Ongoing Hezbollah rocket attacks on Israeli communities.
Concerns of those who have not been vaccinated
Dr. Abdinasir Abubakar, Acting WHO Representative in Lebanon, expressed concern that many people fleeing violence in the south of the country are not protected from cholera, which thrives in poor water and sanitation conditions. According to authorities, about 1.2 million people have been displaced so far.
“It can spread very quickly,” he said. “Because some communities are from the south and from Beirut Not available [much] cholera immunity for the past 30 years and the risk of spread is very high.”
The immediate threat of cholera has posed another challenge for UN humanitarian agencies and their partners working amid ongoing devastating air strikes in the east Lebanon overnight and another attack on a government building in the southern town of Nabatieh on Wednesday left 16 people dead, including the mayor.
WHO chief Tedros said the agency has distributed medical supplies to priority hospitals to treat victims of Israeli bombing. The UN health agency is also working with the Lebanese Red Cross and hospitals to equip blood banks with safe blood supplies “and we are training surgeons to save lives.” and limbs,” Mr. Tedros said. “The solution to this suffering is not aid but peace,” he added.
Attack on the healthcare sector
According to WHO tracking data, since the escalation of hostilities began a month ago, there have been 23 verified attacks targeting the healthcare sector resulted in 72 deaths and 43 injuries among healthcare workers and patients.
Meanwhile, Lebanese authorities reported that about 2,200 people have died since October last year.
“More and more health facilities are having to close, especially in the South, due to heavy bombardment and insecurity,” Tedros said, adding that nearly half of all primary health care centers Heads in conflict-affected areas have closed, while 11 hospitals have been fully or partially evacuated. “Hospitals are under enormous pressure as they face an unprecedented wave of injuries, while also trying to maintain essential services,” he said.
Prioritizing polio treatment in Gaza
In Gaza, where the second round of the polio vaccination campaign is underway, the WHO chief emphasized that the success of the campaign depends on being able to reach “at least 90%” of children under 10 years old across the region, “in all communities and neighborhoods.”
UNRWA and partners have started the second round of the polio vaccination campaign in Gaza.
Tedros said a minimum of two doses of the vaccine was needed to prevent transmission of the polio virus before warning that rising violence in northern Gaza had “prevented” humanitarian missions.
“In the first half of October, only one UN delegation out of 54 to northern Gaza was successfully facilitated,” he said. “The rest were denied, canceled or hindered. We ask Israel to give WHO and our partners access to the north so we can reach those who are in dire need of aid.”
After nine attempts, Tedros explained, a delegation from the UN health agency and partners finally delivered supplies and fuel to Kamal Adwan and Al-Sahaba hospitals last Saturday, before in condemning the continued attacks on health care facilities across Gaza.
This included Monday’s airstrike on the courtyard of Al Aqsa hospital in Deir Al Balah, where people were sleeping in tents, “the eighth time the Al Aqsa hospital complex has been attacked since March this year ”.
Top UN aid official Joyce Msuya told Security Council on that Wednesday In the past seven days, nearly 400 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 1,500 injured in Gaza. “The world has witnessed images of patients and displaced people, sheltering near Al Aqsa Hospital, being burned alive,” said Acting Deputy Minister in charge of humanitarian affairs.
Msuya noted that since the beginning of October, more than 55,000 people have been displaced from Jabalia in northern Gaza “while others remain stuck in their homes, running out of water and food”.
She added that no food aid was brought into the north from October 2 to 15 “when a trickle was allowed in – and all the essential supplies for survival were running out.” . Distribution of existing food supplies to those in need continues, but these stocks are rapidly being depleted.”
