"The aid provided by the U.N. on the tarmac of Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport, on Oct. 4, 2024. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/L'Orient-Le Jour)
The Health Ministry announced in a statement on Tuesday that it distributed 3,099,283 boxes of medicines from international aid and donations to primary care centers across the country.
This aid, listed in the statement, was intended for internally displaced persons during the war between Israel and Hezbollah. Among the medications, some treat chronic diseases. The operation was carried out in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and funded by the European Union.
The war began when Hezbollah opened a support front with Gaza from Southern Lebanon on Oct. 8, 2023. However, the conflict intensified in September 2024 and lasted until Nov. 27, displacing approximately 1.2 million people from southern Lebanon, the Bekaa region, and the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The health sector in Lebanon was already under severe pressure from the ongoing economic and financial crisis since 2019, which greatly limited access to medicines and health care.
