The Council of Arab Health Ministers issued a resolution on 9 October to provide urgent assistance to the Lebanese people in response to the severe repercussions of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Lebanese Republic. The resolution aims to strengthen Lebanon's health sector by bolstering its capacity to treat the injured and wounded. Ambassador Dr. Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary-General and head of the Social Affairs Sector, stated that the General Secretariat (Social Affairs Sector - Health and Humanitarian Aid Department) has transferred the funds approved by the Council to the Ministry of Public Health in Lebanon to promptly meet urgent medical supply and emergency service needs.
Ambassador Abu Ghazaleh noted that the Health and Humanitarian Aid Department distributed the list of critical needs provided by the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health to member states, urging them to extend support and dispatch urgent humanitarian and relief aid to the Lebanese people during these challenging times. She further highlighted, according to a report from the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health dated 24 October that 55 hospital attacks had been documented, including 36 incidents of direct targeting, resulting in the forced closure of eight hospitals and partial operation of seven others, in addition to 201 assaults on ambulance associations. The Lebanese health sector faces unprecedented challenges amid the ongoing aggression.
Her Excellency expressed profound gratitude to the member states for their support during this critical period for Lebanon and called upon them to continue their efforts to mitigate the impact of the Israeli aggression and reinforce Lebanon's health system. She also urged financial institutions, Arab funds, and specialised Arab organisations to provide urgent support to Lebanon's health sector.
