BEIRUT, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese caretaker Health Minister Firas Abiad on Monday called for more international support to protect Syrian refugees in Lebanon from cholera and other diseases.
"Tests have shown that water in areas hosting Syrian refugees was polluted, and it is possible to spread cholera and other diseases," Abiad was quoted as saying by the National News Agency.
Abiad's remarks came during his tour along with representatives from international organizations in Lebanon's eastern city of Baalbek to follow up on the second phase of vaccination against cholera.
Lebanon has 900,000 cholera vaccines to provide basic protection to reduce the spread of the disease in the country, according to the health minister.
Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health received 600,000 doses of cholera vaccines in November from the International Coordination Group, which secured 90 percent of vaccination for refugee communities in hot spots affected by the outbreak.
Since the first cholera case was detected on Oct. 6, 5,616 cases have been reported in Lebanon, including 666 lab-confirmed ones and 23 associated deaths.
The World Health Organization has required about 11.2 million U.S. dollars for the cholera response in Lebanon over six months, but only 29 percent has been received so far, according to a WHO statement earlier this month.
