Médecins Sans Frontières - WEBCLIP - INTER - 16/9 WASH in Baalback- Hermel Governorate

Unique Identifier Code / URN MSB153702

Date taken / Date Recorded 30/03/2023 3:14 PM

Country Lebanon

Commissioning section MSF-SWITZERLAND

Copyright MSF

Usage Rights (MSF) External Media, MSF Fundraising, MSF Publications, Social Media

Formal Consent Copy available no

Editor's rating ★★★ (F)

Video format h264 (Main) (avc1 / 0x31637661)

Duration 2m2s

Maximum Size 1920px × 1080px 150.52 MB

Additional Information / Shotlist Hello, I'm Dr. Marcelo Fernandez, the head of mission for Médecins Sans Frontières in Lebanon. I'm here to talk to you today about a concerning situation affecting vulnerable communities in northeastern Lebanon. Due to a combination of economic and political crises and insufficient aid, many people in Hermel, Masharieh Al Qaa, and Arsal are living without access to clean water and adequate sanitation facilities. This is putting them at a heightened risk of waterborne diseases and skin infections.
In the past month, our teams have treated 138 households for skin infections and 172 cases of acute watery diarrhea, both conditions that are linked to exposure to poor water quality and dire sanitation living conditions.
We are doing everything we can to provide medical care to those affected by these conditions, but more is needed to prevent these conditions from happening in the first place. The provision of safe water and sanitation facilities should be a top priority for international humanitarian actors. These conditions are preventable, and if not prevented, they can have severe consequences on people's health and well-being, especially amid the strong economic crisis they are already coping with.
MSF is providing medical treatment to the affected communities to address the health needs posed by the situation. However, longer-term sustainable solutions are needed to ensure that communities are not at constant exposure to preventable diseases and infections. We urgently need to secure access to clean, safe water and adequate sanitation services to protect the health and well-being of these communities and avoid further health consequences.