UNIFIL-donated ambulance to benefit thousands

An ambulance fitted with latest technology – donated by UNIFIL’s Italian contingent to the Disaster Risk Management Unit of Tyre last week – is expected to benefit thousands of people displaced from villages close to the Blue Line.

At a ceremony on 22 December, Italian contingent commander Colonel Alessio Argese handed over the ambulance, valued at over €45,000 (≈$47,000), to the president of the Tyre Union of Municipalities, Hassan Dbouk.

The delivery of the ambulance – together with medicines, medical devices, food, clothing, and other essential goods – was made possible with the funding from Lions Club Cagliari Saint Remy in Italy.

Colonel Argese said, “Today’s donation will alleviate the suffering of the displaced, increase the resources available to health teams to support regular services, and treat the growing number of people in need of medical assistance.”

Mr. Dbouk said the ambulance will be used for advanced emergency care “as it is equipped with the best tools and devices designed to provide a critically important service for our entire area.”

In addition to carrying patients, the ambulance will be used for monitoring and treating critically ill patients. Patients will be able to receive immediate care onboard the ambulance before being transported to the hospital.

The latest donation is part of a series of support initiatives UNIFIL peacekeepers are undertaking in support of the people affected by the recent violence across the Blue Line.