The Belgian contingent under the command of UN Interim Forces in Lebanon, announced closing down its field hospital in Tibnin town in south Lebanon by the end of February, local As-Safier daily reported Wednesday.

"The Belgian hospital has been in the service of the Lebanese people since 2006, and until our government took a political decision to close it down by the end of February, a statement by the Belgian contingent said.

The statement stressed that Belgian intends to maintain its support to the Lebanese people, and would invest 4 million U.S. dollars to rehabilitate the Lebanese public hospital in Tibnin.

The hospital would stop receiving cases of long care on Feb. 15, and would stop its services on March 6.

The Tibnin field hospital was opened following the July 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, and helped many inhabitants in the deprived areas of south Lebanon.

Source: Xinhua