Since April, a rising tide of anti-refugee sentiment in Lebanon has fueled intensified raids and security measures to address the issue of unregistered people in the country. As a result, Syrian refugees seeking health care at Doctors Without Borders/Médecin Sans Frontières (MSF) clinics in Baalbek-Hermel governorate face growing impediments to accessing health care due to fears and restrictions on their freedom of movement. For many refugees in this governorate, the decision to seek medical help is now fraught with fear.  

MSF has been present in Baalbek-Hermel governorate, in northeastern Lebanon, since 2010. For over a decade, our teams have provided free high-quality medical services including pediatrics, sexual and reproductive health care, treatment for noncommunicable diseases, vaccinations against preventable diseases, and mental health support for both refugees and the local community. Currently, MSF runs a clinic in Arsal and another in Hermel, and we support access to secondary health care through partner hospitals. Yet, even with this assistance, numbers of missed medical appointments are soaring as fear tightens its grip on the refugee community.