OCHA Situation Report No. 2
Lebanon: Syria OCHA
5 August 2006


Lebanese displaced continue to enter Syria

Persons of Concern (POCs) including Lebanese displaced, Third Country 
Nationals and others are continuing to cross the border into Syria to 
escape the conflict in Lebanon, with an average of 5,000 new arrivals 
every day.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Displacement Update

1. As of 02 August, the Syrian Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour 
(MoSL) estimates that there are now approximately 180,000 displaced 
Lebanese people - Persons of Concern - in Syria. Some 67,000 of them 
located in public sites (schools, Pioneer camps etc), and the rest are 
accommodated with host families or in hotels/apartments.

2. UNHCR estimates a continuing daily net influx of between 5,000-8,000 
into Syria from Lebanon, but also notes that a number of males are 
returning to Lebanon on family matters.

3. The UN is working closely with GoS partners, in particular the 
Ministry of Social Affairs and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), to 
clarify numbers of incoming displaced persons, with a breakdown by 
nationality, and their onward movements, to improve response planning 
and aid distribution. In particular information on the movement of POCs 
from current accommodation sites to others, including Pioneer youth 
camps, is urgently needed, to ensure effective delivery of the most 
needed items - and to avoid duplication or gaps by location.

4. UN agencies report that other groups of displaced, namely 
Palestinians, are waiting to enter Syria at the Jdayda-Masnaa border 
crossing, and require humanitarian supplies including medical care, 
sanitation and items such as mattresses and pillows.

5. Contingency plans are starting to be considered for a situation where 
the POC situation becomes protracted with additional inflows, taking 
into account that the start of the school term is approaching, Ramadan, 
colder weather, and increasingly strained resources among host 
communities and the Lebanese themselves. The question whether new camps 
will have to be established may have to be addressed.

Security

6. Security Phase I remains across the country, except for the entire 
Syrian/Iraqi border area and the Syria-Lebanon crossing in 
Jdayda-Masnaa, which is under Phase II.

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

7. UN agencies and partners are working through the Sectoral Working 
Groups, and coordinating across sectors where necessary. In order to 
ensure best coordination of assessments and relief delivery, and in 
response to the GoS request for assistance with the influx of Lebanese 
displaced, the UN is also working to strengthen central coordination 
with the GoS, to ensure combined and inclusive focal point for UN 
support to national efforts.

8. Inter-agency field assessments have accounted for almost 40,000 of 
the POCs in public sites in and around Damascus. Agencies are 
increasingly starting to assess sites further afield, including Dar'a, 
Aleppo, Hama, Homs, and Latakia. OCHA is supporting the UN system and 
partners in tracking location and movement of POCs by maintaining a 
Consolidated Assessment Tracking sheet. This currently lists some 160 
sites hosting these 40,000 POCs, based on data collected by UN agencies 
and other national and international partners. Agencies will now 
designate focal points for each site, to follow up on assessments and 
response, and thus avoid duplication or gaps.

9. Members of the cross-sectoral Emergency Coordination Group have 
agreed that more consultation is needed with the GoS to ensure 
appropriate information exchange on numbers of POCS entering the country 
and remaining in Syria. These figures, once the source is agreed, will 
be used in all UNCT advocacy outreach as well.

Shelter, site management, and non-food items

10. In order to ensure coordinated assistance to the POC population, IOM 
and UNHCR are working together with other sector partners and SARC to 
quickly assess the location of all sites; who has provided what 
assistance to which sites; and which supplies can be provided or 
procured by whom.

11. UNHCR and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) are setting up 
warehouses and offices in four locations - Damascus, Aleppo, Tartus, and 
Homs, which all UN system agencies can access. Current NFI stocks 
include plastic sheeting, jerry cans, kitchen sets, kerosene stoves 
mattresses and blankets, sheets and pillows, underwear for adults and 
children, diapers and other personal hygiene products; amounts and 
locations will be mapped as part of the mechanism outlined below.

12. UNHCR and AKDN have offered to set up a joint coordination mechanism 
for targeted distribution of non-food items (NFIs) to avoid duplication. 
This distribution would entail no additional trucking or warehousing 
cost to other partners. The stocks could also be released to SARC, and 
other partners involved in distribution of NFIs to host families. The 
proposed system would allow agencies to request by email and receive a 
range of NFIs within 24 hours, from one supply point.

13. Although host families have been receiving goods and support from 
the SARC, the location and needs of POCs staying with host families also 
need to be fully assessed and met.

14. UNRWA is addressing the needs of more than 2,000 Palestinian 
refugees from the Lebanon crisis, including 1,612 who are being 
accommodated at eight UNRWA schools in Yarmouk, Damascus. UNRWA is 
coordinating delivery to them of NFIs from UN agencies and private 
donors.

Health

15. The Ministry of Health (MoH), supported by WHO and UNICEF, has 
undertaken an assessment of all POCs in Syria, and results are expected 
early next week. This will give a more in-depth understanding of number 
of POCs, access to water and sanitation, personal hygiene practices, 
numbers of people affected by communicable diseases and those suffering 
from chronic illnesses, availability of health care and essential 
medication.  A number of other survey and assessments have been carried 
out, including of the nutrition status of children under-5, and of 
pregnant/lactating women, among others.

16. WHO is supporting MoH in designing a system for outbreak detection 
and early response, which will be functioning next week. A list of high 
priority drugs needed in the POC sites and a delivery procedure has been 
finalized with MoH and SARC; WHO is also supporting the GoS in 
developing a system for logistic tracking and management of medical 
donations.

17. UNICEF and WHO have started an immunization campaign with MoH for 
MMR/ polio/ meningitis for all children under 5; and measles for all 
aged 5-15. UNICEF has also provided 150,000 capsules of vitamin A to be 
distributed to all POC children during the vaccination campaign in order 
to boost their immune system.

18. UNICEF and partners have identified capacity for psychosocial 
support and training: UNICEF, SARC, and the NGO Movimondo designed a 
psycho-social assessment tool, and ten SARC volunteers have already been 
trained in how to use it. 60 training manuals for psycho-social games 
and activities for children and adolescents in emergencies have been 
distributed through AKDN.

19. UNFPA is providing support to the MoH to respond to reproductive 
health care needs: UNFPA has provided emergency obstetric kits, care for 
pregnant women and newborns - safe blood transfusion kits, drugs and 
supplies for STI prevention - to cover 120,000 people for the next 3 
months, with a further shipment bringing supplies to cover 150,000. The 
Syrian Family Planning Association has also been supplied with a UNFPA 
mobile clinic and necessary support staff and maintenance, which has 
treated 40 pregnant women and a further 80 for reproductive tract 
infections. UNICEF is supporting MoH on breastfeeding awareness 
campaign.

Food

20. As part of a WFP food distribution programme aimed at providing 
50,000 people with wheat and flour; pulses and lentils; vegetable oil; 
and canned meat for the next 90 days, approximately three metric tonnes 
of food have been distributed per day, since 31 July. This has reached 
up to 11,000 POCs in the Damascus area.

Water and Sanitation

21. SARC assessments suggest that there are water shortages and supply 
quality issues at some POC sites - support is needed in terms of water 
treatment, maintenance, and hygiene materials. In addition, UNRWA 
reports the need for additional sanitation facilities,water storage and 
pumping facilities in the schools in Yarmouk.

22. UNFPA has provided 12,000 personal hygiene kits to POC sites 
supervised by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, Ministry of Social Affairs, 
Ministry of Awqaf, UNRWA and UNHCR.  An additional 8,000 kits are on the 
way, and ICRC is providing a further 2,000 kits.

23. UNFPA, UNICEF, and partners are providing assistance to ensure that 
women and girls have privacy and secure toilet facilities, and that 
hygiene promotion activities are being carried out to reduce the spread 
of disease. UNICEF has provided hygiene supplies to schools and sites 
serving at least 6,000 people.

24. UNICEF has established emergency latrine units in the Dabbusseya 
border point to accommodate the needs of thousands of incoming and 
out-going displaced.

Protection

25. An initial assessment by UNFPA indicates the potential for incidents 
of gender-based violence including sexual violence. So far only one case 
of GBV has been reported by the Syrian Family Planning Association, but 
specific activities are being designed by UNFPA in consultation with 
concerned local partners to secure a safe and protected environment and 
treatment of cases.

26. Recreational kits will be provided to schools in Damascus, and the 
Pioneer Camp association will provide nursery spaces where children's 
activities can be held, with supervision. NGOs are also mobilizing 
volunteers to organize children's programmes.

Education

27. UNICEF has provided recreational kits that have benefited at least 
2,500 children, and is also providing them for the resource rooms being 
set up in every Pioneer camp.

28. Looking ahead to scenarios such as greater influx of POCs or a 
prolonged conflict, the Education sector is also considering the 
possible need for support to the Ministry of Education in integrating 
POC children into the Syrian school system - such as establishing 
children's education levels, and providing transport from POC sites, 
among others.

Coordination

29. The Emergency Coordination Group has prioritized response planning 
by all agencies. A system is needed that ensures that identified gaps 
are acted upon. This needs the full participation of the GoS (Ministry 
of Social Affairs), and the Sector Working Groups.

30. UNDP has initiated discussions with the Syrian Government (relevant 
Ministries, including the State Ministry of Red Crescent, the Ministry 
of Local Administration and Environment, the Ministry of Social Affairs) 
and the SARC, to work designing a functional emergency coordination and 
communications mechanism to respond to crises.

31. The UN Country team, through its Media Communications Team and 
supported by OCHA, is now working on strengthening public outreach and 
advocacy.  Initial activities will include publishing statements by the 
Secretary General and others on the humanitarian situation in Lebanon - 
in Arabic; keeping the UN Syria website updated on humanitarian 
assistance to the POCs here; and providing GoS partners and the media 
with clear information on aid which the UN System has been delivering to 
the affected populations in Syria.

The UN Syria website - www.un.org.sy - now has a humanitarian section, 
where contact lists and meeting schedules are available, as well as 
other situation updates.

Flash Appeal

32. A number of projects in various sectors outlined under the Lebanon 
Crisis Flash Appeal cover Syria, and there are also regional projects 
with Syria components. The overall request amounts to 13.6 million. Some 
11 million USD funds for WHO and UNICEF crisis response are currently 
unallocated, which could be directed towards humanitarian operations in 
Syria.

33. Some donors are starting to consider funding specifically to support 
aid to the POCs in Syria. They have been recommended to use Flash Appeal 
mechanism in order to allow speedier and fairer access to these funds.

PRIORITY CONCERNS

- Contingency planning needs to be initiated with all stakeholders, to 
ensure that factors such as the unclear situation in Lebanon; the 
forthcoming beginning of the school year; Ramadan; colder weather; the 
strain on resources among host communities and the POCs; are all 
considered when planning for aid and services to the POCs.

- Access by entire POC population to services: it is feared that some 
especially vulnerable groups, such as displaced Palestinians; women, 
children, the elderly; and the disabled, may need assistance in ensuring 
equal access to services.

Please contact for further information:

OCHA Mission to Syria: syriaocha@un.org
  Mr. Ivo Freijsen,  Head of Mission +963 934 75636
  Ms. Sofie Garde Thomle, Information Management Officer +963 955 57807
  Ms. Amanda Pitt, Reports Officer     +963 973 20708


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