COVID-19 cases increase in Lebanon after Beirut explosion
The emergency situation caused by the explosion in Beirut port led to a relaxation of precautionary measures against COVID-19 and cases are increasing, warns the office in charge of the coordination of humanitarian aid. Dozens of refugees were reportedly killed in the incident.
The UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted that last Sunday, 294 cases and two deaths were recorded for COVID-19 in Lebanon, the highest number reported so far in that country.
The UN agency considers that this increase is triggered by a neglect of precautionary measures against the coronavirus due to the emergency that the country is experiencing after last Tuesday's explosions in Beirut, which left at least 160 dead, an undetermined number of missing and thousands injured.
This trend bodes well for "the rate of transmission of the virus to rise and cases to increase significantly in the coming weeks".
According to World Health Organization data, Lebanon has officially reported 6517 confirmed cases and 76 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
"As the situation regarding COVID-19 remains very alarming and there is a further resurgence of positive cases even among health workers, significant efforts are being made to link the health response to the emergency response to the explosion in order to promote awareness and preventive measures," OCHA said.
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Tuesday that at least 34 people were on the list of more than 200 people who died or disappeared in the explosion in the Lebanese capital.
He said his teams on the ground are verifying reports and fear that the number of deaths among a refugee population of 200,000 in Beirut could be even higher. He added that 124 refugees were injured in the explosion, 20 of them seriously.
UNHCR is working with rescue teams and other humanitarian partners to identify the victims and is providing families affected by the tragedy with counselling and cash assistance, as well as helping with burial arrangements.
The agency said its post-explosion relief operations cover the entire community: Lebanese, refugees and migrant workers. Efforts are focused on the most vulnerable people, who are provided with shelter and protection.
As part of the inter-agency humanitarian appeal, UNHCR is mobilizing $12 million for emergency response to the poorest and most severely affected households. The package includes $9.6 million for shelter interventions and $2.44 million for protection activities over the next three months.
The agency said a house-to-house assessment had been launched in the most impacted neighbourhoods and that distribution of humanitarian aid began on Sunday. Early estimates indicate that some 10,000 vulnerable families may have been affected by the explosion and need immediate support.
UNHCR's priority is to identify and bring assistance to those who urgently need a roof over their heads. This assistance will help to secure entrances and windows to homes, providing some level of security and protection so that people can regain their privacy and dignity. Assistance will also be targeted to affected people who are displaced outside the Beirut area.
