Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) members deliver water and sanitation aid in Middle East Humanitarian Appeal, as cholera returns to Lebanon

DEC member agencies are helping to prevent a cholera outbreak in Lebanon, after the World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed the first case in the country for many months.

Aid workers are warning that the disease could spread rapidly, given over a million people have been recently displaced by conflict. Many are now living in temporary shelters in cramped conditions in schools, public buildings and even tents in the street, without proper facilities. The UN says there are already reports of scabies and lice spreading among children living in shelters.  

In 2022, Lebanon saw its first cholera outbreak for 30 years, which spread exponentially, affecting thousands of people and killing 23. Given the conditions and numbers currently displaced, agencies fear a new outbreak could be even more severe.  

On October 16, the WHO said a new case of cholera was identified in Akkar governorate in the north of the country. Authorities are investigating the extent of the disease’s spread, gathering samples from the patient’s contacts, and assessing potential water contamination.

Currently, the WHO reports that almost half - 100 out of 207 - of primary healthcare centres in conflict affected areas have closed, and 6 hospitals ceased operations due to structural damage.

The global stockpile of Oral Cholera Vaccine is currently depleted, with no remaining doses available. The WHO said that although more doses are expected in the coming weeks, this shortage poses significant challenges to outbreak response efforts worldwide, and hampers efforts to control the spread of the disease.

DEC member charities are working to prevent further spread, providing clean water, hygiene kits and sanitation assistance.

The DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal has raised £13.5 million so far. This includes generous donations from the UK public, DEC corporate partners and longstanding supporters. Donations to this appeal from the UK public are still being matched pound for pound by the UK government, as part of its aid match scheme.

Madara Hettiarachchi, Director of Programmes and Accountability at the DEC, said:  

“There is an urgent need to scale up water, sanitation and hygiene provisions to prevent the spread of disease as this crisis continues. The risk of a widespread cholera outbreak in Lebanon is highly concerning, and would have devastating consequences for hundreds of thousands of people currently displaced. 
 

“Thanks to the generosity of the British public, millions of pounds have already been donated to help the most vulnerable in the Middle East right now. This money will provide vital aid to agencies working to help save the lives of people affected by conflict, including those at risk of disease in Lebanon.”

Hovig Wannis, Oxfam Lebanon’s Deputy Director and Head of Response, said:  

“The scale of the crisis, alongside the over-crowded shelters and lack of clean water and sanitation, means there is a very real risk of cholera and other waterborne diseases spreading. Oxfam is responding with cholera kits including chlorine to make water safe to drink, and providing clean water, but more aid is desperately needed to keep preventable diseases at bay."  

Roula Zeaiter, Programme Co-ordinator at RDFL, Action Aid’s local partner in Lebanon said:  

"We are deeply concerned about the spread of cholera due to the severe shortage of cleaning and disinfecting supplies. With the crowded conditions, the risk of diseases, especially cholera, is rising, and the lack of essential hygiene materials leaves us vulnerable. The situation is becoming critical, and we urgently need aid to provide disinfectants and other sanitation resources to prevent an outbreak"

Many DEC member agencies have been responding with cholera prevention measures. The British Red Cross has delivered over 10,000 hygiene kits in Lebanon, and Action Against Hunger have distributed over 600,000 litres of clean water.  

In Gaza, DEC member charities have also been working tirelessly over the last year to help prevent a disease epidemic, where nearly 70 per cent of water, sanitation, and hygiene has been damaged or destroyed, putting people at huge risk of waterborne diseases. The health system in Gaza has all but collapsed but DEC member agencies are there, helping to save lives.  

There are currently no reported cholera cases in Gaza but surveillance is ongoing.

Concern have been working with trusted local partners across Gaza to provide households with safe water, while Islamic Relief have provided hygiene kits to more than 60,000 people. Oxfam and its local partners in Gaza have helped to restore damaged water pipelines, helping to get clean water to over 300,000 people, and Christian Aid and its partners have provided medical treatment to more than 30,000 people. 

People can donate online: dec.org.uk

• £10 could provide blankets for two people 
• £50 could provide emergency food for five families for one week 
• £100 could provide emergency shelter for five families    

For more information on the appeal, please visit the DEC website.

Stay up to date with the appeal with the DEC on  X  or on Facebook.  

ENDS  

Notes to editors:  

Media enquiries please call 07930 999 014 or 07871 309253 (out of hours).  

Interview requests: For individual spokespeople please contact: SGard@dec.org.uk  

Water and sanitation response photos:  

About the DEC: The DEC brings together 15 leading UK aid charities at times of crisis overseas to raise funds quickly and efficiently. In these times of crisis, people in life-and-death situations need our help and our mission is to save, protect and rebuild lives through effective humanitarian response. The DEC’s 15 member charities are: Action Against Hunger, ActionAid UK, Age International, British Red Cross, CAFOD, CARE International UK, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide UK, International Rescue Committee UK, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Oxfam GB, Plan International UK, Save the Children UK, Tearfund and World Vision UK.      

All 15 of the DEC’s members are either responding or planning to respond in the Middle East and will receive funds from this appeal. Some may work through trusted local partners. They are Action Against Hunger, ActionAid UK, Age International, British Red Cross, CAFOD, CARE International UK, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide UK, International Rescue Committee UK, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Oxfam GB, Save the Children UK, Tearfund and World Vision UK.    

DEC member charities are committed to the principles of neutrality, impartiality, humanity and independence – it guides all of the lifesaving work we do. As humanitarian aid agencies, we have an obligation to give aid wherever it is needed, prioritising the most urgent needs of the most vulnerable people. 

The majority of funds from this appeal will be spent in Gaza and Lebanon, where millions of people are displaced and desperately need humanitarian support. Some of the funds will also be used to support people in the West Bank, where the recent escalation in violence has forced many more to flee their homes, and had a devastating economic impact.  

In Israel, families of those held hostage desperately await news of their loved ones, tens of thousands of people have been displaced, and many more are dealing with trauma caused by the ongoing conflict. We will continue to monitor the situation and needs in Israel. A number of DEC charities are in a position to expand their response to include Israel should the situation change. 

Through UK Aid Match the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) gives the British public the opportunity to have a say in how the UK aid budget is spent whilst boosting the impact of the very best British charities to change and save the lives of some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.   For the Middle East Humanitarian appeal, every pound donated by the British public will be matched by the UK Government up to the value of £10 million.        

UK Aid Match has increased the impact of a number of DEC appeals to help those in need around the world, including most recently the Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal in 2023.  In 2022, the UK matched up to £25 million of public donations to DEC’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal - the largest commitment ever made to a DEC appeal through UK Aid Match.      

UK Aid Match enquiries should be directed to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Please call 020 7023 0600 (24-hour).  

How to donate:      

• Online: dec.org.uk    
• Phone: 0330 123 0333 [Standard network charges apply]    
• Text to give/SMS: for press releases: text SUPPORT to 70676 to donate £10. Other partners should use the specific text keywords they have been provided with by the DEC. [Texts cost £10 plus your standard network rate]    
• Send a cheque by post to: DEC Middle East Humanitarian Appeal, PO Box 999, London EC3A 3AA.