ICRC helps vaccinate more than 15,800 children in north Lebanon

  • Syrian refugee camp in al-Sahel, Akkar, north Lebanon.
    Syrian refugee camp in al-Sahel, Akkar, north Lebanon.
    The Sahel region in Akkar is home to nearly 72,000 Lebanese citizens and has taken in more than 60,000 Syrian refugees since the start of the crisis in Syria.
    CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / M.Tahtah
  • Syrian refugee camp in al-Sahel, Akkar, north Lebanon.
    Syrian refugee camp in al-Sahel, Akkar, north Lebanon.
    With the influx of Syrian refugees, health and education services in the villages and towns in Sahel have been further exacerbated.
    CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / M.Tahtah
  • Syrian refugee camp in al-Sahel, Akkar, north Lebanon.
    Syrian refugee camp in al-Sahel, Akkar, north Lebanon.
    Insufficient access to proper vaccinations and health care have drastically increased the risk of epidemics among children and residents in the area.
    CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / M.Tahtah
  • Syrian refugee camp in al-Sahel, Akkar, north Lebanon.
    Syrian refugee camp in al-Sahel, Akkar, north Lebanon.
    ICRC teams have reached more than 15,000 children across the region with the help of local municipalities, experienced nurses and Lebanese Red Cross volunteers.
    CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / M.Tahtah
  • Syrian refugee camp in al-Sahel, Akkar, north Lebanon.
    Syrian refugee camp in al-Sahel, Akkar, north Lebanon.
    The Ministry of Public Health has designated the Sahel region as an extremely vulnerable area due to the dire situation arising from the growing number of Syrian refugees.
    CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / M.Tahtah
  • Syrian refugee camp in al-Sahel, Akkar, north Lebanon.
    Syrian refugee camp in al-Sahel, Akkar, north Lebanon.
    ICRC teams have spent time with families, explaining the benefits of vaccination for their children and answering all their questions.
    CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / M.Tahtah
04 August 2016

Over the last two weeks, ICRC staff have vaccinated more than 15,800 children in 23 Lebanese villages and 500 informal Syrian settlements in Akkar, north Lebanon.

ICRC teams travelled from home to home and tent to tent across the Sahel area in Akkar in order to reach as many children under the age of five as possible. The vaccination campaign was coordinated with the Lebanese Red Cross and the Ministry of Public Health.