UNRWA Health Services: A Lifeline for Palestine Refugees in Lebanon

Through its network of health clinics throughout the country, UNRWA offers maternal and child healthcare services to all Palestine Refugees in Lebanon.

Walaa, a 35-year-old Palestine Refugee from Nahr El Bared camp in northern Lebanon, is a mother of three, with her youngest child, Mayan, just two months old.

Before Mayan’s birth, Walaa says, "I always made sure to visit the clinic for regular check-ups. They gave me valuable advice on how to take care of myself and my baby while she was still in my womb.” During her visits, she received essential check-ups, had her blood pressure and sugar levels monitored, and was provided with supplements like iron and folic acid. Inside the clinic, she was surrounded by the care and support of doctors and nurses who guided her every step of the way.

With rising healthcare costs in Lebanon, Walaa adds, "Healthcare is so expensive. Going to a private gynecologist costs between US$ 50 to US$ 70, not including transportation. My husband doesn’t have stable work, and I have three children to care for."

Walaa gave birth at the hospital with support from UNRWA, which covered 90 per cent of the delivery costs. "I continue to receive support from the UNRWA team at the clinic after the birth. They regularly weigh my baby and ensure she receives her vaccinations on time, along with any necessary treatments and medication,” Walaa said.

UNRWA’s health services are essential for Walaa and other vulnerable Palestine Refugees in Lebanon, where the poverty rate is high, reaching 70-80 per cent. “We cannot survive without this support,” she explains.

In Lebanon, Palestine Refugees rely heavily on UNRWA services, as they have no access to the country's public health system. The Agency provides these services in its 27 primary healthcare centres, as well as by giving subsidies for hospital coverage, and offering access to basic and life-saving medications and treatments.

“The exclusion of Palestine Refugees from access to public services in Lebanon makes them highly dependent on UNRWA. Without UNRWA, 200,000 patients in need of primary health care—mainly women and children—would have no basic health service provider to turn to. And without our hospitalization support, 30,000 patients requiring urgent secondary or tertiary care each year would simply have nowhere to go,” said Dorothee Klaus, Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon.