UN allocates $9.5M to contain cholera in Lebanon

BEIRUT, Lebanon

The United Nations on Thursday allocated $9.5 million to Lebanon to help in the fight against a cholera outbreak in the country.

“The $9.5 million directly targets more than 1,500,000 people across Lebanon - Lebanese, Syrian refugees, Palestine refugees and migrants – at heightened risk of exposure to cholera,” UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza, said in a statement.

Riza voiced hope that the implementation of these emergency and coordinated interventions will limit the spread of the disease in Lebanon.

The UN coordinator called on the Lebanese government to intensify its efforts to ensure the provision of basic services to the population.

Earlier on Thursday, Lebanon’s Health Ministry received 600,000 doses of cholera vaccine, provided by the World Health Organization and UNICEF.

Cholera is caused by ingesting bacteria found in contaminated water or food.

The first case of cholera was reported in Lebanon on Oct. 6, marking the first appearance of the disease in the country since 1993.

*Ikram Imane Kouachi contributed to this report