The Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon has destroyed many communities and displaced thousands, preventing the delivery of key health services for many including drug using populations. Skoun, a Lebanese drug treatment centre offering medication and harm reduction services, has put out an international emergency appeal to gather much needed funds to support their service users who were displaced by the invasion.
Israel’s invasion of Lebanon is an expansion of its military actions in the region, triggered by the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. Nearly on the one year anniversary of their ground and air assault on Gaza, Israel launched a “limited operation” in Lebanon on 4 October to attack and eliminate the leadership of Hezbollah, a Lebanese political party with a paramilitary wing which supported Hamas’ attack.
Since October 2023, more than 2,700 people have been killed in Lebanon, with more than 12,400 injured since then. Tyre, Baalbek (both UNESCO World Heritage sites), the Beqaa Valley as well as the capital Beirut have all been bombed since the beginning of this month. It is estimated that up to 1.3 million people have been internally displaced since Israel first invaded Gaza.
Service users displaced
Amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis across Lebanon, those accessing essential medicines as part of their drug treatment are vulnerable to further harms. Skoun’s treatment centre in the Beqaa region was bombed, ending their operations in the region. A further rapid needs assessment of 250 of their impacted service users since Israel’s ground invasion highlighted that 36% of their clients have had to evacuate their homes, 86% of whom use opioid substitution treatment (OST).
“These displacements have critically hindered access to essential treatment and support systems, increasing reliance on negative coping mechanisms, including escalated substances use among displaced populations,” Tatyana Sleiman, Skoun’s Executive Director shared in a press release.
While humanitarian efforts have understandably focused on addressing people’s basic needs, specialised services have essentially been left unfunded, compromising their ability to offer stable access to critical medication.
“Several primary health care centres and medical facilities around Lebanon are closed because they have been damaged by strikes or are in areas that are no longer accessible,” Sleiman told TalkingDrugs.
“There is one hospital in the south of Lebanon [offering drug-related services] that is completely destroyed,” she added. Videos of where the hospital was located confirm the level of destruction of health services.
Prescription extensions and funding needed
To keep their clients from suffering further harm, Skoun has launched an international call for funding for the next six months. They are attempting to raise $130,000USD for the next six months to relocate their operations, sustain their mental health and harm reduction services to clients, procure OST medications for clients, and run a hotline to identify beneficiary’s humanitarian and medical needs, among other needs.
As part of their actions to support their clients’ needs, Skoun also organised an open letter to Lebanon’s Minister of Public Health to extend OST prescriptions; given that many of the public system’s OST dispensaries are now in high-risk zones, the extension of prescriptions would allow for patients to sustain access to their medication without exposing them to more risks.
A similar policy was introduced in Ukraine as a result of the Russian invasion, with the Ukrainian Health Ministry extending patients’ scripts for OST medications to 30 days to reduce any risks of treatment disruptions, particularly in frontline areas. This approach is supported by other international agencies, especially with displaced populations: in response to the Russian invasion in February 2022, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) highlighted that countries have are entitled to reduced access protocols to facilitate access to medication like OST in the case of emergencies.
“Your support is more crucial than ever to uphold the gains made in integrating drug response and harm reduction into broader health and humanitarian responses and to safeguard the well-being of our communities,” Sleiman said.
“The assistance provided will not only help mitigate the immediate effects of the crisis on vulnerable populations but will also preserve the long-term health and dignity of those we serve.”
