This latest outbreak in Lebanon is no coincidence, as cholera is often the result of man-made disasters such as war and forced migration. Lebanon knows that, as Syria's neighbor, it has received more than a million refugees fleeing a conflict. Syria's 12-year conflict destroyed most of its water treatment infrastructure and health systems, and this has produced a cascading effect on Lebanon.
This goes beyond regional issues like Syria, Lebanon, and Haiti - this is a global wake-up call. The world has a limited cholera vaccine supply, and nations can't afford to get caught flat-footed as they did with COVID and Monkeypox. Our discourse can't confine the danger to Lebanon and other impacted nations, it's an escalating problem for the international community.
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