Due to the conflict between Lebanon and Israel, more than 100 medical institutions in Lebanon, about one third of the country's total, were forced to close, said Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday.
Currently the hospitals and health workers in Lebanon are overwhelmed and also being attacked, the WHO chief said in a social media post, while calling for unimpeded access of humanitarian aid, immediate protection of civilians, health workers and health facilities, financing for the UN Flash Appeal and a ceasefire.
In the past year, Lebanese medical and health institutions have been attacked 53 times, with 99 patients and staff members killed, according to the WHO.
And due to the deterioration of water and sanitation conditions, a case of cholera was reported in northern Lebanon.
The WHO urged relevant parties to take immediate action to protect Lebanon's medical system.
Conflict forces closure of one-third health facilities in Lebanon
Conflict forces closure of one-third health facilities in Lebanon
Conflict forces closure of one-third health facilities in Lebanon
The ongoing 136th session of the China Import and Export Fair is helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from Yulin City of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region reach global customers. Commonly known as the Canton Fair, the event serves as a platform for SMEs to connect with global customers and expand their presence in international markets. Most of the 10,400 enterprises attending the second phase of the Canton Fair, running from Wednesday to Sunday, are SMEs.
During a promotion event at the Canton Fair, inheritors from Bobai County of Yulin dressed in traditional ethnic costumes, showcased the Guangxi intangible cultural heritage of rattan crafts. The crafts are primarily made using natural materials such as bamboo, wood, grass and rattan. With a history of over 50 years in foreign trade, these woven handicrafts have been exported to more than 40 countries and regions around the world. Tu Chunxiao, who has been engaged in weaving for 21 years, showcased hand-woven home decorations and household items at the exhibition. Her offerings have expanded from a single storage basket to over 20,000 products in five categories. These distinctive products attracted many potential buyers. "We received orders totaling more than 800,000 U.S. dollars on the first day. Although we come from a small county, we want to expand into overseas markets through the Canton Fair platform, obtain more orders, provide more job opportunities for Bobai craftsmen, and pass on and promote our intangible cultural heritage skills globally," said Tu. A ceramic company from Yulin brought its popular high-temperature white porcelain to the event. The Canton Fair platform has played a crucial role in the company's growth. "We have attended 26 sessions of the Canton Fair, and our scale and orders have increased more than tenfold. We brought over 500 varieties of our products this time," said Tian Yusen, an exhibitor. A total of 59 Yulin companies attended the second phase of the exhibition as a group. Local authorities organized a special promotion event, aiming to showcase three locally advantageous industries to global customers. "We attended this year's Canton Fair to host a promotion event for the foreign trade transformation and upgrading base in Yulin, mainly recommending Guangxi's bamboo, wood and grass products, as well as ceramics, textiles and clothing," said Tan Pei, head of the Yulin Commerce Bureau. The 136th Canton Fair is running in three phases from Oct 15 to Nov 4 in Guangzhou City of south China's Guangdong Province. Themed "serving high-quality development, promoting high-level opening-up," this edition of the fair features more than 30,000 exhibitors showcasing 1.15 million new products.
Canton Fair helps remote city SMEs reach global customers
