Ms Siobhan Walsh:

This morning, our emergency director in Beirut was talking about the situation in Lebanon. It is another horrifying day in Lebanon. There have been 36 attacks on health facilities and 77 health workers have been killed. One of GOAL's partners, which has been deeply rooted in society there for many years, has seen 70% of its 1,000 staff and volunteers lose their homes and be dispersed. That is one of the humanitarian actors on the ground. The situation is the same in Gaza, where health facilities have been targeted overnight. To stick with Lebanon, 1.2 million people have been displaced because of the recent escalation. They are now facing new challenges. We are focusing much of our efforts on the south of Lebanon and the suburbs. I will make a couple of points on that. There are real concerns here about sectarian tensions.

What I mean is that as people are moving north, there are real concerns and there are people in Christian neighbourhoods who are scared about renting accommodation to families who are moving. They are asking if they will now become targets if they start to rent their homes. I point out the escalation in fear. This is not about people just being displaced and being accepted. There are many complex challenges.

Another point is that the health system in Lebanon is on its knees and is in serious trouble with shortages of staff and supplies. It was already challenged before this. I say this because we, with a Lebanese partner, were actually mapping the health system and analysing the resilience of the health system in Lebanon. That all paused in September because of the escalation. However, the statistics will come out. That health system already needed scaffolding. It was already stressed and under pressure. Unless we do something to urgently provide scaffolding to the health system, there is serious fear it will collapse. We are talking about approximately 10,000 critically wounded. With that number we need to do something. The minister at the Ministry of public health in Beirut has provided a list of what they need in terms of medical supplies and surgical equipment. The other issue is that many of the staff are now dispersed and so they have fewer staff to respond.