Lebanese health system under high pressure

Photo: Ibrahim Amro Agence France-Presse Displaced people sleeping on the streets in Beirut.

Magdaline Boutros

Published at 0:00

• Middle East

“It's a disaster,” says Dr. Luna Hammad, medical coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Lebanon. Displaced people are sleeping on the streets in Beirut, doctors fear epidemics, hospitals are running out of medical supplies, and around 100 health facilities in the south of the country have been forced to close. Meanwhile, the UN continues to denounce Israeli attacks on ambulances and relief centers.

“We are in a humanitarian emergency. The situation is extremely worrying and it continues to deteriorate due to the escalation of tensions and violent bombardments,” the doctor warns in an interview from Beirut.

Since September 23, the Israeli army has been carrying out intense strikes on Lebanon — particularly in the south of the country, in the Bekaa Valley and in the southern suburbs of Beirut — to neutralize Hezbollah. The Shiite group has been launching projectiles at Israel for a year in solidarity with Hamas.

According to the Lebanese government, the Israeli military campaign has caused more than 2,000 deaths, some 10,000 injuries and driven more than a million Lebanese from their homes. “Health infrastructure is under pressure,” Dr. Hammad worries, adding that the basic needs of the displaced are not being met at the moment.

Photo: Courtesy “[In the shelters] we see on the children’s faces that they are in shock,” reports Dr. Hammad. “There are women who are breastfeeding their babies and crying at the same time. And old people who have sometimes left their homes without taking their wheelchairs or walkers, who no longer have their medication, and who are crying on the floor on mattresses.”

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

Dans la rue

Among the Lebanese fleeing the bombs raining down on the south of the country, some have found shelter with friends or family further north. Others have managed to rent a place in a safer area or find a place in one of the country’s 800 makeshift shelters — mostly schools. But for others, the only option is the street, garages or warehouses. “They set up shop everywhere.”

And to survive, they need everything, says Dr. Hammad. “When there is a distribution [of humanitarian aid], there is tension between those who took it and those who didn’t. There is not enough for everyone. The needs are too great, and the trauma is too great.” »

In schools where thousands of displaced people are crowded together, hygiene measures are often precarious. “These are not places ready to receive people to live in.” Access to drinking water or to toilets and showers is limited.

The spread of infectious diseases is on the radar of health authorities. “Shelters are overcrowded. You can have three or four families in a small room. Transmission can be very rapid,” notes the doctor.

Shock

Psychological trauma is also rife. “[In shelters] you see on the faces of children that they are in shock,” reports Dr. Hammad. “There are women who are breastfeeding their babies and crying at the same time. And old people who have sometimes left their home without taking their wheelchairs or walkers, who no longer have their medications, and who are crying on the floor on mattresses.” Others are dealing with the death of one or more of their loved ones. “It really hurts to see them.” »

In hospitals, both material and human resources are limited. “There are staff members who have fled with their families.” And the large number of wounded means that the need for equipment is immense. “They are using a lot of it.”

Since the beginning of the crisis, MSF has been providing psychological first aid to the displaced. The organization also organizes recreational activities for children and distributes trauma kits to hospitals receiving the wounded, among other things. More than 500 MSF doctors, nurses, psychologists, water and sanitation specialists, logisticians, etc. are working in Lebanon to respond to this crisis.

Without medical care

In many areas, access to healthcare is weakened or completely non-existent. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 100 health facilities in southern Lebanon have been forced to close due to Israeli bombings and ground operations.

However, civilians are still in these border areas, says Dr. Hammad. MSF is trying to send medical supplies there. “But it’s very difficult because we’re afraid of putting our staff at risk. […] The bombings target everything that moves. The risk is everywhere.” »

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also denounced new attacks by Israel on Thursday “during which ambulances and relief centers were targeted or hit, causing new victims.”

Over the past year, WHO has recorded 92 deaths and 92 injuries in Lebanon following 38 attacks on health care facilities.

Luna Hammad is now calling on the international community to step up its support for Lebanese civilians. “I left my children at home in another country to help as much as I can for people here in Lebanon to alleviate their suffering,” she says. “But it’s hard, the needs are great and humanitarian aid is not enough.”