United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon warned on Tuesday that fuel shortages threaten the provision of essential health and water services across Lebanon, putting thousands of families in the country at risk of a humanitarian catastrophe.
“I am deeply concerned about the impact of the fuel crisis on access to health care and water supply for millions of people in Lebanon,” said Najat Rochdi, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon.
“A bad situation only stands to get worse unless an instant solution is found.”
The largest hospitals in Lebanon have already reduced their activities due to fuel and electricity shortages.
Meanwhile, public water supply and wastewater treatment systems that are heavily reliant on fuel, have drastically reduced operations all over Lebanon, leaving millions of people without access to public water and jeopardizing the environmental and public health.
As a result of the deteriorating socio-economic situation in the country, the health system is facing significant threats of limited liquidity, medication shortages and emigration of medical staff.
Hundreds of health care workers have left the country while essential medications, such as chronic diseases treatments and antibiotics, are unavailable. With Lebanon facing another wave of COVID-19 cases, the current fuel crisis has the potential to worsen the health situation.
Source: Agencies
