Lebanon: People are cut off from care as Israeli attacks intensify
Escalating attacks have displaced more than one million people. and are cutting off communities from healthcare.
Four weeks into the latest escalation in Lebanon, Israel’s ongoing bombardment and the subsequent forced displacement of people are severely impacting people’s lives and their access to essential services.
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) calls for the protection of civilians and healthcare, and for an end to measures that force people from their homes.
Since March 2, civilians have faced increasingly dire conditions, as an escalation of attacks by Israeli forces has displaced more than one million people from their homes and disrupted their access to healthcare. According to the Ministry of Health, 1,039 people have been killed between March 2 and 23, 12 per cent of whom were children.
“We call for the protection of civilians and medical structures at all times, allowing people to continue to access healthcare and other essential services.”
Tejshri Shah, MSF general director
Combined with ground attacks and repeated airstrikes targeting civilian infrastructure, such as bridges in southern Lebanon, these actions are effectively isolating large cities and numerous villages south of the Litani River, along with their remaining residents.
“We are worried about the safety of the civilians who did not leave these areas, whether by choice or by lack of means,” says Tejshri Shah, MSF general director, visiting Lebanon.
“We call for the protection of civilians and medical structures at all times, allowing people to continue to access healthcare and other essential services.”
An impossible choice to remain at home or seek safety
Evacuation orders issued by Israel collectively cover 14 per cent of Lebanon’s land area, resulting in the displacement of one of five people in the country. Even in places outside designated “evacuation” zones, including parts of Beirut and the southern parts of the country, people live under the immediate threats of recurrent air and drone strikes.
“I fled with nothing and I have nowhere to go. I hoped to almost beat cancer. Now, I spend nights in a tent in a park and I don’t know where I’ll find my next dose of medication or how I’ll continue my treatment.”
Mohammad*, a displaced person in Lebanon
Despite forced displacement orders, many people have chosen to stay, rather than abandon their homes and villages, while others have had no choice due to socio-economic and medical vulnerabilities. This has made access to medical care increasingly difficult for them to access medical care and for medical and humanitarian workers to reach them.
“Hospital staff in Nabatiyeh, who decided to continue working there, have no choice but to shelter inside the hospital, avoiding car travels and in search for safety,” says Luna Hammad, MSF medical coordinator who visited the Nabatiyeh Governmental hospital, one of the hospitals receiving the most casualties in Lebanon.
“They have been enduring this for weeks, with very little rest, carrying the weight of constant pressure and fear while hospitals continue to receive mass casualty events.”
Several hospitals in southern Lebanon remain functional and are providing initial emergency care and referrals. MSF is supporting these facilities with medical supplies, fuel for electricity and essential relief items such as blankets and hygiene kits.
Attacks on health facilities and workers
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 63 attacks on healthcare facilities have been reported, with 40 healthcare workers killed and another 91 injured as of March 23. In addition, more than five hospitals have been forced to evacuate and more than 54 healthcare centres across Lebanon have had to close, further limiting access to essential health services.
A displaced leukemia patient who visited one of MSF’s mobile clinics described the impact of disrupted care after hospitals were evacuated: “I fled with nothing and I have nowhere to go. I hoped to almost beat cancer. Now, I spend nights in a tent in a park and I don’t know where I’ll find my next dose of medication or how I’ll continue my treatment.”
In parts of Beirut, Mount Lebanon, South Lebanon, North Lebanon and Akkar, MSF teams are providing primary healthcare, referrals and support to help people continue treatment, but sustained access to specialized and chronic care remains disrupted.
As bombardment and displacement continue, the space for people to survive and for health services to function is shrinking day by day. MSF calls for the protection of civilians and healthcare and for an end to measures that force people indefinitely from their homes and cut them off from treatment.
