Lebanon reports cholera spread among Syrian refugees

By Wassim Seif El Din

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AA) – Lebanon has reported a wide spread of cholera among Syrian refugees in the country.

Health Minister Firas Abiad said 80 new cases of cholera were recorded in Lebanon, taking the nationwide tally to 169.

“Five people have so far died from the illness,” he added at a press conference in the capital Beirut.

“A total of 70% of the cholera infections in Lebanon are for Syrian refugees,” the minister said.

Lebanon reported its first case of cholera on Oct. 6 in the northern Akkar province.
Lebanon hosts around 1.5 million Syrian refugees, about 900,000 of whom are registered at UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Most of the refugees suffer from tough living conditions, especially with the exacerbation of the Lebanese economic crisis on one hand and the global economic crisis on the other.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar