LEBANON: Over 400,000 forcibly displaced children at growing risk of scabies, cholera and waterborne diseases

Toronto, October 22, 2024 – Over 400,000 children forced from their homes by the escalating conflict in Lebanon are at risk of skin diseases, cholera, and other waterborne diseases due to overcrowded, basic conditions in collective* shelters and a lack of water and sanitation facilities, said Save the Children.

The first case of cholera and cases of scabies have already been reported among some of the 1.2 million people forcibly displaced from their homes. The World Health Organization expressed concerns that many of those who had fled the violence in the south had no protection from cholera, which thrives in poor water and sanitary conditions.

With winter fast approaching, children and families sleeping out in the open or in collective shelters that lack adequate heating will be exposed to harsh conditions and forced to endure cold, wet weather without proper protection, warned Save the Children which is working in 194 of the 1,094 collective shelters in Lebanon. These poor living conditions will expose children to a high risk of respiratory infections and other cold-related health issues.

Fatima, 31, was displaced from the south with her 11-year-old child and is now staying at a collective shelter in Mount Lebanon, sharing a crowded classroom with about eight other families. She said:

“Everything is difficult. We’re running out of essential medications for chronic illnesses, especially for the elderly. We can’t even find blood pressure medicine. We left our home with just the clothes we were wearing. Winter is coming, and we need warm clothes, blankets, and heaters.

Can you imagine 30 families per floor sharing a single toilet? It’s a school toilet, so there’s no shower or water heater. We have to fill plastic containers with water and leave them in the sun to heat up, just so we can bathe the children. The elderly and kids are falling sick because they must wash with cold water. These living conditions are unbearable.”

One in five people in Lebanon have been uprooted from their homes in the past four weeks. Many of those fleeing are already vulnerable, including children and refugee populations who have already been displaced for months. 

Over 190,000 people are now living in 1,094 collective shelters across the country, which are schools, community centres and other public institutions that have been repurposed.

Kamal Nasser El Deen, Emergency Response Coordinator at Save the Children Lebanon said: 

“I’ve been in multiple shelters where I’ve seen families and children waiting in long lines just to access the bathrooms. The facilities are inadequate for the number of people, and to make matters worse, the water supply is inconsistent. This lack of clean, reliable water creates a significant risk for waterborne diseases. It’s heartbreaking to know that these children, already displaced and vulnerable, face the additional threat of illness simply because basic needs like sanitation and clean water aren’t being met.”

The health care system is also under huge strain due to intense Israeli airstrikes, with almost half of all primary health care centers in conflict-affected areas now closed, while 11 hospitals have been either fully or partially evacuated. A total of 28 water facilities have been damaged, affecting over 360,000 people.

Jennifer Moorehead, Save the Children’s Country Director in Lebanon said:

“Children in Lebanon now have to face not only bombs but also the risk of vaccine-preventable disease. We’re alarmed – but not surprised – by the first case of cholera case given last year we’ve observed a sharp decline in vaccination coverage. Thousands of vulnerable children are now unprotected and with winter just round the corner and temperatures dropping, they will become even more susceptible to diseases such as measles, meningitis and hepatitis A. We have already seen in Gaza how the lethal combination of mass displacement, attacks on healthcare and lack of nutritious food and water can impact children’s lives. We cannot allow this to happen again. The international community must act now to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and exert pressure for an immediate ceasefire.”

 Save the Children has been working in Lebanon since 1953. Since October 2023, we’ve been scaling up our response in Lebanon, supporting displaced Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian children and families, and now have escalated an emergency response throughout the country in 194 collective shelters. Since October 2023, we’ve supported more than 110,000 people, including 47,000 children, with cash, blankets, mattresses and pillows, food parcels, water bottles and kits containing essential hygiene items.

Notes to Editor

* “Collective shelters” are pre-existing buildings and structures where large groups of displaced people find shelter for a short time while durable solutions are pursued. A variety of facilities may be used as collective centres – community centres, town halls, hotels, gymnasiums, warehouses, unfinished buildings, disused factories. Infrastructure and basic services are provided on a communal basis or access to them is made possible.

-ENDS