Lebanon: Bringing Essential Health Care Closer to Communities Affected by Hostilities
For Hanan Sabra, getting the medication she needs and seeing a doctor have become increasingly difficult since the armed conflict affected communities across southern Lebanon. With incomes declining and health care increasingly difficult to afford, even basic medical consultations can be out of reach.
“I came to collect medication for chronic diseases and to see a general practitioner. No, we certainly cannot afford to go to the hospital, or even to the health-care centre in the village,” she explains.
Hanan is among the residents of Qaaqaait al-Jisr and other villages in southern Lebanon facing growing difficulties in accessing essential health care. Damaged health facilities, disrupted medical services and the financial impact of the conflict have made it harder for people, especially those living with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and hypertension, to receive regular medical attention and obtain the medication they need.
“I cannot find the medication I need at the health-care centre in the village, so I have to go to Nabatieh to get it,” says Ibrahim Salemeh, another resident of Qaaqaait al-Jisr.
To help bridge these gaps, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has launched a dedicated Mobile Medical Unit, bringing essential medical services directly to underserved communities in conflict-affected areas of southern Lebanon. Deployed in close coordination with the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC), the unit provides medical consultations, follow-up care for people with chronic diseases, essential medication and treatment for acute and seasonal illnesses.
During its first two deployments in October, the ICRC's Mobile Medical Unit, jointly with the Lebanese Red Cross Mobile Medical Unit, provided medical consultations to 131 patients in southern Lebanon. Most consultations focused on non-communicable diseases, paediatric consultations, replenishing essential chronic medications and treating common seasonal illnesses, including upper respiratory tract infections.
The initiative follows extensive needs assessments and close coordination with the Ministry of Public Health and other health actors to identify underserved communities, complement existing services and ensure that medical assistance reaches those who need it most.
“The unit travels between the villages most affected by the conflict, particularly areas where access to health-care services is limited or entirely unavailable,” explains Aya El Khatib, ICRC health field officer in Lebanon.
The unit will continue visiting highly affected villages in southern Lebanon, prioritizing areas where health facilities are damaged, closed or unable to provide regular services, as well as communities with large numbers of residents remaining in or returning to their homes.
As local health services recover, the ICRC aims to support a gradual transition of care back to local health-care providers, contributing to the continuity and sustainability of essential medical services.
For families trying to rebuild their lives amid the recurring and long-term impact of the armed conflict, access to health care remains a fundamental need.
For further information, please contact:
or visit our website: www.icrc.org
SHOTLIST
Length: 06’34’’
Location: Lebanon
Date of Filming: 27 October 2026
Camera: Jamale ABOU HAMAD
Language: Arabic - English
Resolution: 4K
Copyright: ICRC access all
On Screen Credit: ICRC written or logo
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00:00-00:13 |
Leaving the ICRC Beirut Delegation for Qaaqaait al-Jisr, southern Lebanon. |
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00:14-00:32 |
Arriving at Qaaqaait al-Jisr Municipality with the mobile medical unit, setting up to receive residents from the area. |
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00:33-02:16 |
Patients are being examined and provided with appropriate treatment by ICRC doctors inside the Mobile Medical Unit (MMU). |
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02:17-02:29 |
An ICRC staff member helps an elderly woman get out of the car. Lina Jomaa, ICRC staff member, shares: “I saw an elderly woman sitting in a car. She couldn't get out because she had difficulty walking and was living with Alzheimer's. We helped her sit on a chair next to the car. Her daughter told us that she rarely laughs or smiles. But as I started talking to her, she looked at me and smiled. I felt that she was comfortable and safe. As we were leaving, she looked at me again and blew me kisses from inside the car. It was such a beautiful and touching moment. These are the moments we work for. They remind us of the importance of what we do and give us hope.” |
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02:30-02:46 |
The ICRC doctor examines patients in a room inside the municipality building. |
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02:47-03:15 |
ICRC staff register patients and conduct initial assessments before referring them to the doctors. |
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03:16-04:14 |
ICRC staff distribute free medication to patients after they receive their prescriptions from the doctors. |
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04:15-04:59 |
Hanan SABRA - Resident of Qaaqaait al-Jisr, southern Lebanon. “I came to collect medication for chronic diseases and to see a general practitioner. No, we certainly cannot afford to go to the hospital, or even to the health-care center in the village. Our needs are many, to be honest. Since the war, work has declined significantly. I’m speaking both from a personal perspective and on behalf of the community around me; all types of work have been affected. My husband, for example, is a laborer, and he is now unemployed. We need all kinds of food and nutritional support. We need drinking water, which we sometimes cannot even afford to buy, and we need medical consultations. Honestly, we need everything. My family and a large part of the community are going through tremendous hardship.” حنان صبرا، من سكان بلدة قعقعية الجسر، جنوب لبنان ”أتيت للحصول على دواء للأمراض المزمنة، ولمعاينة طبيب صحة عامة. لا، بالتأكيد لا نستطيع الذهاب إلى المستشفى، ولا حتى إلى المستوصف في القرية. إحتياجاتنا كثيرة في الحقيقة. منذ الحرب، تراجع العمل كثيرًا. أتحدث على الصعيد الشخصي وعلى صعيد المجتمع حولي. كلّ أنواع الأعمال تراجعت. زوجي على سبيل المثال عامل، وهو الآن عاطل عن العمل. نحن بحاجة إلى الغذاء بمختلف أنواعه، وإلى مياه الشرب التي قد لا نتمكن أحيانًا من شرائها، وبحاجة أيضًا إلى المعاينة الطبّية. نحن بحاجة إلى كلّ شيء، صدقًا. نحن وشريحة كبيرة من المجتمع نعيش معاناة كبيرة جدًّا”. |
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05:00-05:19 |
Ibrahim SALEMEH - Resident of Qaaqaait al-Jisr, southern Lebanon “I cannot find the medication I need at the health-care center in the village, so I have to go to Nabatieh to get it. As for the economic situation, we are looking for a doctor, the Red Cross or a health-care center that can help us reduce our expenses and make ends meet.” ابراهيم سلامه - من سكان بلدة قعقعية الجسر، جنوب لبنان ”لا أستطيع العثور على الأدوية التي أحتاج إليها في مستوصف القرية، فأضطر إلى الذهاب إلى النبطية. وبالنسبة إلى الوضع الإقتصادي، فنحن نبحث عن طبيب أو عن الصليب الأحمر أو عن مركز يساعدنا في تخفيف الأعباء وتدبير أمورنا.” |
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05:20-05:33 |
Hassan SALAMEH - Resident of Qaaqaait al-Jisr, southern Lebanon “Accessing hospital care is not easy at all. Those who do not have social security coverage or private health insurance face serious difficulties. People are coming together and helping one another. حسن سلامة - من سكان بلدة قعقعية الجسر، جنوب لبنان “الحصول على الإستشفاء ليس سهلًا على الإطلاق، لأن من لا يملك ضمانًا إجتماعيًا أو تأمينًا يواجه مشكلة. والناس يتكاتفون لمساعدة بعضهم البعض. نحتاج في الدرجة الأولى إلى الأمن والأمان. فمن دون الأمان، لا يمكن أن تكون لدينا حياة مستقرّة. يضع معظم الأشخاص أمتعتهم وحقائبهم وأغراضهم في سياراتهم، متوقّعين أن يحدث شيء في أي لحظة. ولا يزال الجزء الأكبر منهم يستأجر في الجبل أو في بيروت أو في الشمال، وهم منتشرون في مختلف أنحاء لبنان.” |
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05:34 – 06:34 |
Aya EL KHATIB – Health Field Officer – ICRC Lebanon“Amid the difficult conditions facing villages in southern Lebanon, and the challenges residents encounter in accessing essential health-care services, particularly in areas where health-care centers have been damaged or have ceased operating, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has launched a mobile medical unit to bring health care closer to people and meet their health needs. The unit travels between the villages most affected by the conflict, particularly areas where access to health-care services is limited or entirely unavailable, with the aim of providing primary health care to residents. Services include medical consultations, follow-up care for people with chronic diseases, the provision of essential medication, and treatment for acute and seasonal illnesses, with particular attention to the elderly, children and families returning to their homes. Through these visits, the ICRC seeks to ensure continuity of health care, respond to the needs of residents and support the restoration of local health-care services in affected areas. Because access to health care remains essential, even in the most difficult circumstances.” آية الخطيب - موظفة ميدانية في قسم الصحة في اللجنة الدولية في لبنان “في ظلّ الظروف الصعبة التي تعيشها قرى جنوب لبنان، والتحديات التي يواجهها الأهالي في الوصول إلى الخدمات الصحية الأساسية، خصوصًا في المناطق التي تضرّرت فيها المراكز الصحية أو توقّفت عن العمل، أطلقت اللّجنة الدوليّة للصليب الأحمر عيادةً طبية نقّالة لتكون أقرب إلى الأهالي وتلبّي إحتياجاتهم الصحية. وتتنقّل العيادة بين القرى الأكثر تضرّرًا من النزاع، سيّما منها المناطق التي يكون فيها الوصول إلى الخدمات الصحية محدودًا أو معدومًا تمامًا، بهدف توفير الرعاية الصحية الأولية إلى السكان. وتشمل الخدمات المعاينات الطبية، ومتابعة الأمراض المزمنة، وتوفير الأدوية اللّازمة، وعلاج الحالات المرضية الحادّة والموسمية، مع إيلاء إهتمام خاص لكبار السنّ، والأطفال، والعائلات العائدة إلى منازلها. ومن خلال هذه الجولات، تسعى اللّجنة الدوليّة إلى ضمان إستمرارية الرعاية الصحية، والإستجابة لإحتياجات الأهالي، ودعم إستعادة الخدمات الطبية المحلّية في المناطق المتضرّرة. لأنّ الوصول إلى الرعاية الصحية ضرورة، حتى في أصعب الظروف”. |
Ends
