Ten days after the Israeli offensive began, it is estimated that more than 300 people have been killed and 500,000 have been displaced by the conflict. These populations, mostly fleeing southern Lebanon for the capital or the north of the country, are predominantly gathered in public parks and schools for the moment.
Médecins du Monde has put an emergency response plan in place since 13 July. Médecins du Monde has been present in Lebanon since the beginning of the 1980s and, since September 2004, has been working on a long term programme in prisons around Beirut. In the first instance, the plan is concentrating on evaluating the medical needs and identifying the vulnerable populations. This evaluation has been managed by the long-term programme team, reinforced by the arrival, on Wednesday 19 July, of three expatriate volunteers (including one surgeon) with experience of acute conflict zones and an expanded local team (doctors, nurses and midwives).
Based on the initial results of this evaluation, a programme of mobile clinics to provide care to the displaced populations at Beirut will be operational in 72 hours. These mobile units will enable us to provide medical care and particularly to treat children, people suffering from infectious diseases, and people with chronic health conditions who have been unable to get access to their treatment.
The necessary medicines and medical supplies will be taken from stocks assembled in the last few days and supplemented with further supplies very soon.
In the south of Lebanon, a Médecins du Monde team will today attempt to enter the areas which have been subject to bombardments in order to carry out an assessment of the needs and the possibilities of setting up a medical-surgical project.
In line with many humanitarian organisations, Médecins du Monde is deeply concerned about the near impossibility of reaching civilians and the violations of international humanitarian law. We call for an immediate stop to this violence.
Florence Priolet / Annabelle Quénet
00 33 (0)1 44 92 14 31 / 14 32
http://www2.medecinsdumonde.org/contacter/presse