Lebanon: what a stateless territory means

Every month, we feature a column by one of the personalities who take turns writing for Le Regard Libre. Freelance journalist Sophie Woeldgen shares her views as a reporter in the Middle East on an itchy subject.

In autumn 2022, Lebanon suffered a cholera epidemic. A first in thirty years. The disease, which is easily treatable, can cause death in a matter of hours without treatment. The strain, similar to the one present in Syria at the time, was probably brought back by a refugee. Its spread is directly linked to the failure of the Lebanese state.

In the north of the country, where the disease first emerged, there was no control over the water supply, with pumping and sanitation facilities at a standstill for lack of electricity. Inhabitants dug wells or fetched water from cisterns.