Back to Contents A survey from UNRWA revealed the high dependency of RPS on UNRWA health services: All PRS are entitled to primary health care in UNRWA health centres and referrals to contracted hospitals for secondary and (subsidized) tertiary care and ambulatory services. […] Since UNRWA does not run any hospitals in Lebanon, its hospitalization services consist mainly of referral services towards contracted Lebanese hospitals. Over three quarters of PRS seeking hospitalization (79.3 percent) had access to such UNRWA services. This relatively high figure can be explained by the fact that virtually no PRS (99 percent) have health insurance cover other than through UNRWA. (Source: UNRWA, “Socio-economic Survey on Palestine Refugees from Syria Living in Lebanon”, 28 April 2021, pp. 36 & 37) 6.3. How has Covid 19 impacted access to healthcare? In October 2021, the UK-based NGO Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) submitted a letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, ahead of his visit to Lebanon in November 2021. In a blog article about the submission, MAP quoted a May 2021 interview with “Inas*, a resident of the Ein el Helweh refugee camp:“When we go to a hospital for any problem, they won’t receive us without a negative PCR [COVID-19] test, which costs 75,000 to 180,000 Lebanese Pounds [£35 to £85 GBP]. We don’t have this money, so we decided not to go to the hospital even for essential matters”. MAP further stated that: ”In the submission, MAP highlights how these issues have disproportionately affected people with disabilities; pregnant women, nursing mothers and infants; and young Palestinian refugees. MAP has invited the Special Rapporteur to visit affected Palestinian refugee communities on his visit. (Source: MAP, “MAP highlights plight of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon to UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty”, 12 October 2021) In its annual report for the year 2021, UNRWA’s department of health stated that: “Palestine refugees in all fields have been affected by COVID-19. By the end of 2021, the accumulated number of cases from Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria since the beginning of the pandemic totalled 2,315,550, resulting in 29,626 deaths, of which, 147,651 cases and 1,559 deaths were reported among Palestine refugees. The number of confirmed cases increased dramatically in all fields during 2021. As anticipated, the deterioration of the epidemiological situation continued with new variants emerging. In 2021 alone, the confirmed cases reached 1,672,027 and 21,674 deaths, of which, 120,519 cases and 2,063 deaths were reported among Palestine refugees. Many more Palestine refugees continue to suffer from the consequences of lockdown and health measures that were put in place to control infection. The pandemic has exacerbated the existing poverty and vulnerability of Palestine refugees.” (Source: UNRWA, “UNRWA Department of Health, Annual Report 2021”, 24 May 2022, p. 11) The same source further reported that: “As shown in the graph below, Jordan reported 8,819 cases and 928 deaths. Lebanon reported 13,246 cases and 348 deaths, Syria reported 689 cases and three deaths and West Bank reported 23,723 cases and 95 deaths. In Gaza, the largest number of cases among Palestine refugees were recorded, with 74,042 cases and 689 deaths. These numbers include UNRWA staff who are also a part of the refugee community.” (Source: UNRWA, “UNRWA Department of Health, Annual Report 2021”, 24 May 2022, p. 12) 6. Access to health care 63