BEIRUT: UNICEF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other partners, has ramped up its emergency response efforts to address the threat of cholera in Lebanon. This move follows the confirmation of a cholera case in the Akkar governorate by the Ministry of Public Health. According to National News Agency - Lebanon, an integrated, multi-sectoral response was swiftly launched in high-risk areas to ensure that children and families have access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies. UNICEF has delivered essential supplies, including water purification tablets, disinfection kits, family hygiene kits, and bottled water. Additionally, efforts have been made to disinfect water tanks and enhance wastewater desludging in informal settlements. The organization also provided additional chlorine stocks to the North Water Establishment to bolster the water treatment process while maintaining the supply of critical equipment, spare parts, repairs, fuel, and other consumables to ensure service continuit y. Water establishments have also been supported with materials for conducting water quality testing. UNICEF has procured 100 emergency medication kits, including Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS), and 22 medical supply kits that will be prepositioned at designated governmental hospitals. These resources aim to support the treatment and management of approximately 6,000 cholera cases and symptoms, including moderate to severe diarrhea. "UNICEF is making significant efforts to support the Ministry of Public Health's preparedness, prevention, and response measures to help protect all children and families in Lebanon from the spread of cholera," stated Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF's Representative in Lebanon. The ongoing conflict in Lebanon is severely damaging and disrupting water and sanitation services. Limited access to safe water and adequate sanitation, especially in overcrowded displacement sites and camps, elevates the risk of cholera spreading. Young children, particularly those under five, children who have not been vaccinated, and those suffering from malnutrition, are at heightened risk. UNICEF teams are collaborating with trained frontline workers and partners, including governors, mayors, and local communities, to promote healthy hygiene practices and ensure that children and their families know how to protect themselves and where to seek assistance. "The war in Lebanon is already putting children at grave risk, and now cholera and other contagious diseases have emerged as a new risk. A ceasefire is more important than ever to protect children from being killed and injured, to stem the growing humanitarian crisis on the ground and to focus on making sure that basic services are functioning properly," emphasized Beigbeder.