The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has deployed a dedicated Mobile Medical Unit to conflict-affected communities in southern Lebanon to provide essential healthcare services to residents struggling to access medical treatment following the disruption of health facilities and services.
The initiative, implemented in close coordination with the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC), is designed to bridge critical gaps in healthcare delivery, particularly in villages where damaged facilities, disrupted medical services and the economic consequences of the armed conflict have made access to treatment increasingly difficult.
Residents living with chronic illnesses, including diabetes and hypertension, are among those worst affected, as many struggle to obtain regular medical consultations and essential medications.
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One of the affected residents, Hanan Sabra, said declining household incomes and the rising cost of healthcare had made it difficult for her to seek medical attention.
“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 explained.
Another resident of Qaaqaait al-Jisr, Ibrahim Salemeh, said the unavailability of essential medicines at the local health facility had forced him to travel to Nabatieh to obtain the medication he needed.
“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,” he said.
To address these challenges, the ICRC’s Mobile Medical Unit is taking healthcare services directly to underserved communities, offering medical consultations, follow-up care for patients with chronic diseases, essential medications and treatment for acute and seasonal illnesses.
During its first two deployments in October, the ICRC unit, working jointly with the Lebanese Red Cross Mobile Medical Unit, provided medical consultations to 131 patients across southern Lebanon.
Most of the consultations focused on non-communicable diseases, paediatric healthcare, replenishment of essential medications for chronic conditions and treatment of common seasonal illnesses, including upper respiratory tract infections.
According to the ICRC, the intervention followed extensive needs assessments and consultations with Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health and other healthcare stakeholders to identify communities with limited or no access to essential medical services.
Aya El Khatib, ICRC Health Field Officer in Lebanon, explained that the mobile unit was designed to reach villages most severely affected by the conflict, particularly communities where healthcare services have become limited or completely unavailable.
“The unit travels between the villages most affected by the conflict, particularly areas where access to health-care services is limited or entirely unavailable,” she said.
The organisation said the mobile medical service would continue visiting highly affected communities in southern Lebanon, prioritising locations where healthcare facilities have been damaged, closed or are unable to provide regular services.
It will also focus on communities with significant numbers of residents who have remained in their homes or returned following periods of displacement.
Beyond providing immediate medical assistance, the ICRC said it intends to support the gradual restoration of local healthcare services and ensure that patients can eventually receive continuous treatment through existing health facilities.
As communities continue to grapple with the long-term consequences of armed conflict, the mobile medical intervention highlights the importance of maintaining access to essential healthcare, particularly for vulnerable people and patients who depend on regular medication.
The ICRC’s initiative also underscores the role of humanitarian organisations in supporting strained healthcare systems and ensuring that people living in conflict-affected areas are not deprived of life-saving medical attention because of their location or financial circumstances.