Lebanon hosts 1.5 million Syrian refugees, 400,000 Palestinians and over 160,000 migrant workers, many of whom live in precarious conditions. Our teams assist the most vulnerable communities by providing reproductive, maternal and paediatric care, mental health support, treatment for chronic diseases, and routine vaccinations for children through our clinics across the country.
In addition, we are working to reinforce the national healthcare system and support local organisations affected by the socioeconomic crisis. This includes capacity building through training, and the provision of medicines and medical supplies to public healthcare centres, especially in Tripoli, northern Lebanon.
We are expanding collaborations with the Ministry of Health, local partners and other NGOs, such as Positive on Glucose (PoG), who advocate for individuals living with diabetes. With PoG, we conduct peer support sessions and staff training catering to the holistic needs of people with chronic diseases.
In mid-2023, we ceased our surgical activities in Bar Elias hospital, strategically reorienting our services to general care and support to the health system.
During the year, our teams also responded to health emergencies in various parts of the country, including the dire water and sanitation conditions in the northeast, where we offered treatment for water-borne diseases and distributed hygiene kits.
Following the escalation in conflict in southern Lebanon, we sent medical mobile teams to the Nabatiyeh area to address the growing needs of people who had been displaced since October 2023. We also provided trauma care and mass-casualty training in several hospitals across the country. In Ein Al-Hilweh camp, which hosts Palestinians, we treated people injured in armed clashes between rival factions.
In line with our aims to reduce our global carbon footprint, we installed solar panels in our clinics in Baalbek-Hermel.