Situation Overview

Following a cholera outbreak in Syria on 10 September 2022, the disease quickly spread, with Lebanon reporting its first case of cholera on 6 October 2022 and reaching 29 confirmed cases by 13 October in Akkar and Baalbek governorates. Cholera, a virulent bacterial infection caused by contaminated water or food, can spread quickly in areas with limited access to basic services such as safe water, sanitation, and health care. The disease can kill within just hours due to severe acute watery diarrhoea.
Recent overlapping crises have severely impacted access to health, safe clean drinking water, and sanitation services for both host and refugee populations in Lebanon. As cases are expected to continue to increase, UNICEF in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), NGO partners and led by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), has developed a joint response plan.