The family of one-month-old Palestinian infant Yousef AlShehab has launched calls for securing urgently-needed surgery fees to save their child’s life.

The family said they have managed to secure 1,650 USD of the surgery fees, estimated at 2,900 USD, and are still in need of 1,250 USD.

Yousef, aged just one month, has undergone two surgeries and needs a third one. He is currently hospitalized at Labib Hospital in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon.

The UN has identified Palestinian refugees in Lebanon as one of the most marginalized and poorest communities in the region as they continue to face high marginalization, making them heavily reliant on humanitarian support to cover their basic needs. The socio-economic hardships and unrest experienced by the country have compounded the refugees’ already dire living conditions.

The majority of the Palestinian refugee population in Lebanon live in poverty and are unable to meet even their most essential food requirements. The refugees’ vulnerability is further compounded by their lack of access to healthcare facilities.