Our team in Lebanon, led by UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Imran Riza, is working with authorities and partners to combat the spread of cholera in a country that is already plagued by a severe economic and financial crisis. With a total of 6,500 cholera suspected and confirmed cases and 23 associated deaths since the first case of cholera was reported five months ago, our team on the ground, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Refugees Agency (UNHCR) and partners are working under the leadership of health authorities. The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and Lebanon Humanitarian Fund together have allocated a total of $9.5 million to prevent the spread of cholera, targeting directly more than 1.5 million people across Lebanon, also including refugees from Syria and Palestine and migrants. With the support of WHO and the International Coordination Group, and as of 15 February, a total of 1.1 million Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCV) doses have been administered through door-to-door campaigns among high-risk vulnerable populations. The vaccination campaign began in mid-November 2022 and reached over 90 per cent coverage by the end of last year. Efforts also target refugee and host communities in hotspot areas.
