Beirut (AFP)

Lebanon, plagued by multiple crises, kicked off its anti-Covid vaccination campaign on Sunday, starting with medical staff and people over the age of 75.

Covered by unprecedented funding from the World Bank, only 28,500 doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine, the first, arrived Saturday in this country of some six million inhabitants.

Vaccinations have started in three hospitals in Beirut, in particular that of Rafic Hariri, the main public establishment mobilized against the pandemic which has worsened the difficulties of the Lebanese, half of whom now live in poverty.

"We hope this will be the start of the end of this epidemic in the country," said Mahmoud Hassoun, head of the intensive care unit, the first to receive the anti-Covid vaccine.

Mask on the face, in uniform or casual dress, doctors and nurses waited their turn at the hospital of the American University of Beirut to have their arm stung.

Among them Dana Chatila, 4th year medical student, who works in the emergency room.

"Finally, there is a glimmer of hope (...) It will obviously take time, but the darkness is dissipating", she confides.

In a country afflicted by economic, social and political crises and plagued by corruption, the political class is regularly castigated for a disastrous management of public affairs.

To "ensure equitable, expanded and rapid access" to all, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has indicated that it will "independently" oversee the storage and distribution of vaccines throughout. of the year.

- Covax -

Present at Rafic Hariri hospital, the resigned Prime Minister Hassan Diab thanked the medical staff for their "sacrifices".

Vaccinations will continue on Monday and will also take place in more than 10 other hospitals, according to the health ministry.

During the first phase of the campaign, medical staff and people over 75 years old should be vaccinated.

The country, which hosts more than a million Syrian and Palestinian refugees, is expecting two million doses of Pfizer / BioNTech vaccines, which will be delivered gradually.

It intends to obtain a total of some six million doses, including 2.7 million as part of the international Covax platform launched to help the most disadvantaged countries.

"The vaccine will reach all Lebanese citizens across the country," as well as refugees, Health Minister Hamad Hassan said on Saturday.

According to the latest official figures, Lebanon has so far recorded 336,992 cases including 3,961 deaths.

The spike in cases in January was largely due to the relaxation of restrictions during the holiday season, but also to the spread of more contagious variants.

In intensive care, the occupancy rate is 89.39% across the country, according to the latest figures from the World Health Organization.

- Bargaining -

Strict containment has remained in place since mid-January, with a permanent curfew.

A cautious and gradual lifting of the restrictions was initiated on February 8.

On Friday, the World Bank recalled that the health system was "under great pressure due to the pandemic, a deep and prolonged macroeconomic crisis, and finally (the repercussions) of the devastating explosion at the port of Beirut", the August 4.

This tragedy blamed on the negligence of the authorities was started by a fire in a warehouse housing tons of ammonium nitrate, the storage of which for years and without precautionary measures is at the center of the local investigation. killed more than 200 people and injured thousands who flocked to hospitals, already taken by patients infected with the virus.

Some hospitals were damaged or even rendered out of service by the explosion.

This led to the resignation of the Diab government, which nevertheless continues to manage current affairs.

Despite the urgent need for reforms to obtain international aid, politicians remain caught in endless bargaining over the formation of the new government.

The political class is accused of being cut off from the realities of the country.

In October 2019, anger against leaders accused of corruption and incompetence sparked an unprecedented protest movement.

© 2021 AFP