OCHA Situation Report No. 35
Lebanon
31 August 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

MACC reports 100,000 unexploded cluster bomblets

According to the United Nations Mine Action Coordination Cell (UNMACC) 
on -- the -- ground assessments, most the Israeli bombing assaults 
occurred during the last 72 hours of the conflict, during which some 90 
per cent of all cluster -- bomb strikes occurred. Up to 100,000 
unexploded cluster bomblets remain in south Lebanon and must be defused 
and destroyed.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

1. The Government of Lebanon (GoL) Higher Relief Council (HRC) reports 
the casualty figures at 1,187 killed and 4,080 injured.

UXO and Demining Activities

2. UNHCR is setting up rubhalls (large work tents) in Tyre and Nabatyeh 
to support UNMACC activities is dealing with unexploded ordnance. UNHCR 
has also provided UNMACC with five trucks that will facilitate the work 
of the teams.

3. As of 29 August, 381 cluster bomb strike locations have been 
identified and UNMACC teams have destroyed 2,606 sub munitions.

4. The casualty figures as of 29 August from unexploded ordnance rose to 
59 people, including 13 killed and 46 injured.

5. According to UNMACC's on -- the -- ground assessments, the Israeli 
aerial and ground assault during the first weeks of the war delivered up 
to 3,000 bombs, rockets and artillery rounds daily, with the number 
rising to 6,000 towards the war's end. MACC assessments show that the 
most assaults occurred during the last 72 hours of the conflict, during 
which some 90 per cent of all cluster -- bomb strikes occurred. Up to 
100,000 unexploded cluster bomblets remain in south Lebanon and must be 
defused and destroyed.

Environment

6. Two aerial surveillance flights, on 28 and 29 August, have been 
conducted over the oil spill in the Beirut area. Neither flight observed 
an oil slick but only an oily sheen, which means that an offshore clean 
-- up is probably not warranted. However, significant on -- shore clean 
-- up is needed. The need for additional surveillance flights, perhaps 
with specialized aircraft will be considered in the coming days.

7. The Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit is compiling an advisory for 
Lebanese authorities on the safe handling of on -- shore oil. The 
advisory will be based on the observations and results of a recent 
sampling and analysis of the oil spill by a Swiss expert. Partners 
including UNEP -- Chemicals are contributing technically to the 
advisory.

Assessments

Humanitarian Hub Update -- -- Tyre

8.  Assessments of community needs are on -- going and attention is now 
also focused on monitoring the large volume of food and non -- food 
items already distributed. Clear criteria are needed for secondary 
distributions. Common and transparent criteria and mechanisms for 
allocation have been identified as critical by agencies in order to 
prevent confusion and inequity.

9.  WHO made an assessment visit to Nabatiyeh hospital which recently 
received a supply of WHO medicine and equipment. The hospital is now 
functioning well and providing comprehensive services.

10.  UNICEF water and sanitation specialists participated in the inter 
-- agency assessment mission to Wadi Jilo, Beit Yahoun and Aita Ech 
Shaab.

11.  An inter -- agency team, including OCHA, UNICEF and UNHCR, visited 
Aita Ech Shaab to monitor distribution and provide feedback to clusters.

12.  Needs assessments have been completed in three new villages -- -- 
Beit Yahoun, Hadassa and Aita A Jabal/Aita A Zut -- -- by an OCHA, 
UNICEF and UHCR team.

Humanitarian Hub Update - Saida

13.  Initial assessments of a number of newly accessible villages that 
are located south of Nabatiyeh and Marjayoun, including Qalaiaa, show 
the need for food and NFIs. There is a serious waste and livestock/dead 
animals' disposal problem.

14.  UNHCR Saida is currently on an assessment mission to the village of 
Zahrani and to the Nabatiyeh region. To identify NFI and shelter needs.

15.  Saida -- based NGOs visited on 29 August, the villages of Taibi, 
'Adaisi, Deir Seryan, Kantara, Kfar kila, Talouse, Rab Tlateen and 
Markaba in Marjaayoun District. The villagers are requesting drinking 
water as the water system and electric power have both been destroyed. 
They also requested use of mobile sewage disposal truck or some other 
alternative as the sewage pipeline system has been badly damaged.

16.  UNHCR Saida visited the villages of Kawthariyat Al Seyyad, Al kfour 
and Qlaiaa and report that these villages are in need of drinking water, 
food assistance and non -- food items. They have also requested fuel for 
their generators. To avoid possible duplication in the provision of aid, 
clusters will await the final assessment report, to be issued in three 
days or so, before making assistance available.

Further assessments

17. The Lebanese Syndicate of Engineers assessed buildings in Beirut's 
southern suburbs, including some 120 buildings that housed approximately 
2,000 families. The engineers found:

- Out of the 120 buildings, 40 need reconstruction, due to an unusual 
degree of damage.

- The destruction in Beirut's southern suburbs includes some 6,000 
housing units, in addition to 17,000 units that are damaged. The 
engineering syndicate indicates it will cost $ 300 to 500 to repair each 
unit.

- For each building destroyed in Beirut's southern suburbs another eight 
are damaged to some degree.

18. The final results of an interagency assessment to Beqaa Valley, 
which took place from 16 to 19 August, have been issued. The mission 
involved OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, and UNRWA, with the purpose of 
assessing the impact of recent conflict, and to gather preliminary 
information. Some

19. 12,500 IDPs were estimated to be remaining in the city and 
surrounding villages. Most were in private houses and were in the 
process of returning to South Beirut, Baalbek, and villages in the 
Southern Beqaa Valley. In Western Beqaa, the mission did not get precise 
figures, nor in Baalbek and Hermel. The mission made a set of 
recommendations, including the need to rehabilitate water and sewage 
facilities, provide health and sanitation kits for women reconstruct 
dwellings; and refurbish schools.

20. A Mercy Corps monitoring team visited, on 27 and 28 August, the 
villages of Aadchit el Qasir and Maifadoun in Nabatiyeh District. Both 
villages remain without electricity. In Aadchit el Qasir the water 
pipeline has still has not been repaired with water being delivering via 
tankering. Local farmers estimate that 50 per cent of their tobacco 
crops were lost during the war.

21. On August 27, a Mercy Corps monitoring team visited El Khiam and 
Aadaisse villages in Marjayoun District. El Khiam remains without 
electricity or a functioning water delivery system. Mercy Corps is 
delivering bottled drinking water to the most vulnerable households and 
supporting the rehabilitation of schools in both El Khiam and Aadaisse. 
In partnership with the Mayors of El Khiam and Aadaisse and local 
laborers, Mercy Corps is supporting the removal of debris and clean -- 
up and repair.

Mercy Corps staff interviewed several families in Upper Nabatiyeh as 
part of on -- going monitoring of food and water targeting and 
distributions. All those interviewed said the aid Mercy Corps provided 
was the first they had received and that their need for food would 
continue until water and electricity were again available.

22. The Governor of El Metn estimates that the number of IDPs in his 
area is 6,000, most of whom are from villages in the South. In 
Kesrouane, the number of remaining IDPs is estimated to be around 5,000. 
In Jbeil, the latest figure stands at approximately 2,600.

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

Food and NFIs

23. UNHCR traveled to Marjaayoun on 28 August. The team met with the 
head of the municipality to assess the situation there and discuss the 
needs of the returnees and the local residents. Field assessments were 
also carried out in the village of Qlaiaa near Marjaayoun.

24. UNHCR distributed from its warehouse in Saida relief supplies for 
seven municipalities. The goods included: 1,375 blankets, 1,272 
mattresses, 219 canvas tents, 176 kitchen sets, 742 plastic sheets and 
762 jerry cans.

25. UNHCR has distributed non -- food items to 290 IDPs residing in two 
community centers in Sidon city. The IDPs, most of whom are women and 
children, arrived in Saida after the ceasefire. The majority of them are 
residents of the damaged villages of Aitaroun and Maroun Al Raas. They 
say they came to Saida because the Israelis continue to occupy their 
houses. Others are from Bent Jbeil and Eita Shaab and sought refuge in 
Sidon because their houses were destroyed.

26. Since the cessation of hostilities, UNHCR convoys have been 
dispatched to 40 villages in areas of Nabatiyeh and Tyre delivering 
essential relief assistance including blankets, mattresses, and cooking 
kits. Some tents have been handed out, upon request, as an emergency 
measure to help those whose houses have been destroyed or are heavily 
damaged.

27. UNHCR turns has been handing over the aid to local officials of the 
municipalities - either the elected popular committees or the elected 
mukhtar (district leader). In turn, they often distribute it through 
volunteers, including students who have come from non -- political 
organizations in Beirut to help in the reconstruction effort.

Mercy Corps has distributed in recent days to ten villages in Nabatiyeh 
and Marjayoun, 6,750 litres of bottled drinking water, 383 boxes of 
diapers, and food rations for 17,103 and to 3,925 beneficiaries in 
Baalbek, hygiene kits, food boxes, and blankets.

Education

28. Mercy Corps visited Britel village in Baalbek District, where the 
mayor reported that all three of the schools in the village had suffered 
damage and will need repairs before school begins. Mercy Corps has 
committed to make such repair, which consists principally of broken 
windows in time for the start of classes on 9 October.

Water and Sanitation

29. On 28 and 29 August, Mercy Corps delivered drinking water and food 
rations to villages in Nabatiyeh and Marjayoun Districts, supplying 
7,876 litres of bottled drinking water and food rations for 9,536 
beneficiaries in 12 villages.

30. Mercy Corps replaced the damaged water pump in Baalbek town, 
providing water delivery capacity of 150 cubic meters per hour. The 
Mayor of Baalbek reported that the city's 300,000 cubic litres water 
reservoir was damaged and that they will require an additional water 
pump, which Mercy Corps will assess with a local water engineer.

31. Mercy Corps staff in Baalbek continue to work with a partner in the 
district, the Lebanese Organization for Social Training. Mercy Corps is 
finalizing a project in Baalbek for social infrastructure 
rehabilitation, with an emphasis on schools and water/sanitation repair, 
in partnership with municipal authorities and other actors in the area.

Remaining IDP

32. UNHCR has started coordination with the Ministry of Social Affairs 
to monitor the situation of IDPs in Mattie and Kailua areas in Alley and 
Chou.

33. UNHCR is continuing to verify the numbers of IDPs in Beirut and the 
North. In Bail, the current number is 2,600, in Kosraean 3,377, and in 
El Mitten, 6,000. Some 35,000 IDPs have remained in Beirut, according to 
Caritas estimates, but government authorities have not yet provided 
UNHCR with a precise figure.

Health

34. The Lebanese organization "Movement Social" which has activities in 
Beirut and other parts of the country is planning to conduct a project 
on psychosocial support for children and their families as well as one 
for business training and material support.

Aid Convoys and Shipments

Truck Convoys

|-----------------+---+--------------------------|
| Movement        | # | Comments/cargo           |
|-----------------+---+--------------------------|
| Beirut- Alma el | 2 | (WFP ) canned            |
| Cahaba          |   | meat/vegetables          |
|-----------------+---+--------------------------|
| Beirut- Aita    | 1 | (WFP truck) 25 pallets   |
| Sot             |   | of UNICEF water          |
|-----------------+---+--------------------------|
| Beirut-Missouri | 1 | (WFP) canned meat/       |
|                 |   | vegetables/wheat flour   |
|-----------------+---+--------------------------|
| Beirut- Konini  | 1 | (WFP truck) UNICEF water |
|-----------------+---+--------------------------|
| Beirut- Around  | 1 | (WFP truck) UNICEF water |
|-----------------+---+--------------------------|
| Beirut- Sobbing | 1 | (WFP truck) UNICEF water |
|-----------------+---+--------------------------|
| Beirut- Aqua    | 1 | (WFP truck) UNICEF water |
|-----------------+---+--------------------------|


Sea Movement

|-----------+------------+----------------------|
| Movement  | Vessel     | Comments/Cargo       |
|-----------+------------+----------------------|
| To Beirut | Fast       | Arrives on 30 August |
|           | Challenger | with humanitarian    |
|           |            | supplies             |
|-----------+------------+----------------------|


FUNDING

Flash Appeal

35. The initial Flash Appeal, launched in July 2006, requested some $155 
million for immediate humanitarian assistance. The Flash Appeal has now 
been revised downward to $98.4 million of which $90 million or 91 per 
cent has already been funded and $8.6 million remains unfunded. An 
additional $10.8 million has been received in uncommitted pledges. The 
Revised Appeal will be presented at the Stockholm Conference on Lebanon 
starting tomorrow, 31 August.


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