The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has dispatched 17 tonnes of urgently needed medical supplies to Lebanon, announced on Saturday.
The shipment includes surgical equipment essential for treating burns and other injuries, addressing the acute needs arising from the ongoing armed conflict.
The Red Cross highlighted that Lebanon’s health system, already in crisis, is now under extraordinary pressure due to the continuous strife.
The plan is to distribute these supplies to hospitals and other healthcare facilities across the country, with a particular focus on two major hospitals in the Beirut area and southern Lebanon.
The World Health Organization (WHO) facilitated the transport of these aids to Lebanon on a flight from Dubai.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, stated on the X platform that the organization is striving to send additional supplies.
He mentioned that the current batch is sufficient to treat up to 100,000 patients, underscoring the critical support being extended to Lebanon’s beleaguered medical infrastructure.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced that more than half a million people have been displaced within Lebanon, while another 285,000 have fled the country.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 541,527 individuals had been displaced internally as of last Thursday, with nearly 285,000 leaving Lebanon since September 23, 40% of whom are Lebanese.
Reports indicate that about 40,000 Lebanese have fled, along with 10,000 Syrians, most crossing into Syria by land.
Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, highlighted the severe crisis Lebanon faces due to ongoing Israeli air raids.