OCHA Situation Report
Lebanon Crisis Flash Appeal 2006
24 July 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

EMBARGOED TO THE MEDIA UNTIL 5 P.M. GENEVA TIME ON MONDAY 24 JULY 2006

1. Executive Summary

The Flash Appeal for Lebanon seeks a total of 150 million dollars to 
meet the needs of some 800,000 people over the next three months. 
Funding for the appeal will enable aid groups to carry out programs to 
feed, shelter, and protect civilians caught in a cruel conflict. The 
appeal contains programs that require different levels of funding but 
are all equally important for ensuring a comprehensive response to 
emergency needs.

Lebanon is yet again experiencing devastating cycle of violence, with 
the civilian population caught in the middle. With the conflict now in 
its second week, the humanitarian situation continues to worsen. 
Hundreds of people have been killed and more than 1,500 wounded. 
Moreover, an estimated 700,000 people have fled their homes, including 
some 150,000 people who have crossed the border into Syria. The conflict 
has also affected more than 100,000 people from 20 different countries 
who had been living in Lebanon, a large number of whom require 
assistance to evacuate. Israel too has suffered numerous casualties. 
Hezbollah missile attacks in Northern Israel have claimed the lives of 
dozens of people, with hundreds more having been wounded.

The ongoing Israel Defence Forces (IDF) military operation has caused 
enormous damage to residential areas and key civilian infrastructure 
such as power plants, seaports, and fuel depots. Hundreds of bridges and 
virtually all road networks have been systematically destroyed leaving 
entire communities in the South inaccessible. This profound damage to 
traffic arteries will pose a key challenge to Government institutions 
and humanitarian agencies alike in the weeks to come, particularly in 
remote areas of the South.

As remaining fuel stocks are increasingly exhausted or targeted by the 
IDF, fuel shortages in many areas of essential public services could 
plunge the humanitarian situation to a new low. Skyrocketing prices for 
basic goods (e.g. the price of sugar has risen by 600%, and cooking gas 
by 400%) further deplete the coping mechanisms of the Lebanese 
population, particularly those of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), 
people under siege, the elderly, and families already living below the 
poverty line. Economic life has come to a complete standstill with the 
extreme level of destruction to the basic infrastructure posing a major 
obstacle to a quick recovery.

The longer the hostilities last, the more dramatic the humanitarian 
situation will become. Food, water, health, fuel, and other basic needs 
will increase; so will the number of IDPs. The situation will be further 
compounded by the ongoing air, sea, and land blockade that is 
effectively preventing even basic relief supplies from entering the 
country. The urgent cessation of hostilities, as called for by the 
Secretary-General, is thus the best way to prevent the humanitarian 
emergency in Lebanon from spiralling out of control. Until then, it is 
imperative that all parties to the conflict, in particular the IDF, meet 
their responsibilities under international humanitarian law and provide 
full, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian workers and supplies 
by air, sea, and land in order to allow them to reach vulnerable 
populations in Lebanon. Effective implementation of the assistance and 
protection activities outlined in this Appeal is fully dependent on safe 
and unimpeded passage for humanitarian staff and goods.

Humanitarian agencies have started a robust build-up of emergency 
coordination systems, virtually from scratch. Following a consultative 
process within the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), the response 
is designed along the lines of the cluster approach with designated lead 
agencies and in close cooperation with the Red Cross and Red Crescent 
Movement. Moreover, a Regional Task Force for Deconflicting and 
Notification with the Israeli authorities has been established, 
contingency plans have been updated, and a Joint Logistics Centre is 
planned.

All these efforts are undertaken in close collaboration with and in 
support of the Lebanese Government and its Higher Relief Council, the 
main coordinating body for the current humanitarian crisis. Closer 
cooperation and partnership is also being fostered with the considerable 
Lebanese NGO and civil society presence (over 6,000 organisations). As a 
result of this coordination and cooperation at all levels, the 
priorities listed in this Appeal have been identified to ensure 
immediate humanitarian action in the clusters of health, food and 
nutrition, water and sanitation, logistics, protection, shelter, and 
common services. Hence, the activities in this Appeal will be subject to 
further review as the crisis develops, depending on improved access for 
undertaking comprehensive needs assessments.

In addition to the response inside Lebanon, the Government of Syria and 
the Syrian Arab Red Crescent Society (SARC) have taken a lead role in 
registering, accommodating and assisting the most vulnerable of the 
people displaced there from Lebanon. However, they have indicated that 
their resources and capacity will be exhausted soon and have therefore 
welcomed the support of the United Nations Agencies and NGOs. Syria is a 
strategic transit point not only for those fleeing Lebanon to other 
countries in the region and beyond, but also for the delivery of 
humanitarian supplies to Lebanon. Therefore the response in Syria will 
focus on supporting the provision of protection and assistance to all 
vulnerable populations fleeing the crisis in Lebanon into Syria and 
operational backstopping of relief operations in Lebanon.

To address the urgent humanitarian concerns of displaced and 
war-affected populations in Lebanon and Syria, the United Nations and 
its partner agencies are requesting support for a total of 
US$149,048,677 All dollar figures in this document are United States 
dollars.  Funding for this plan should be reported to the Financial 
Tracking Service (FTS, fts@reliefweb.int), which will display its 
requirements and funding, continually updated, on the CAP 2006 page. to 
cover an initial period of response of three months, which will be 
reviewed during the period of the appeal. Given the urgent need for an 
ongoing revision of available data, the document focuses principally on 
those areas considered to be of most concern to the civilian population.

                  Flash Appeal for the Lebanon Crisis 2006
          Summary of Requirements - by Cluster* as of 24 July 2006
                        http://www.reliefweb.int/fts


Compiled by OCHA on the basis of information provided by the respective 
appealing organisation.

|-------------------+-------------+-------------+------------|
|      Sector       |    Full     |Proposed CERF|   Unmet    |
|                   |requirements | allocations |requirements|
|                   |     ($)     |             |            |
|-------------------+-------------+-------------+------------|
|HEALTH             |   32,428,200|    1,000,000|  31,428,200|
|-------------------+-------------+-------------+------------|
|FOOD & NUTRITION   |   14,500,000|   [
]    |  14,500,000|
|-------------------+-------------+-------------+------------|
|WATER AND          |   13,742,250|    1,500,000|  12,242,250|
|SANITATION         |             |             |            |
|-------------------+-------------+-------------+------------|
|LOGISTICS          |   38,581,326|    2,500,000|  36,081,326|
|-------------------+-------------+-------------+------------|
|SHELTER, SITE      |   28,053,230|   [
]    |  28,053,230|
|MANAGEMENT &       |             |             |            |
|NON-FOOD ITEMS     |             |             |            |
|-------------------+-------------+-------------+------------|
|PROTECTION & MINE  |   16,580,000|   [
]    |  16,580,000|
|ACTION             |             |             |            |
|-------------------+-------------+-------------+------------|
|EDUCATION          |      100,000|   [
]    |     100,000|
|-------------------+-------------+-------------+------------|
|COMMON SERVICES    |    5,063,671|   [
]    |   5,063,671|
|-------------------+-------------+-------------+------------|
|TOTAL              |  149,048,677|    5,000,000| 144,048,677|
|-------------------+-------------+-------------+------------|



The list of projects and the figures for their funding requirements in 
this document are a snapshot as of 24 July 2006. For continuously 
updated information on this appeal's projects, funding requirements, and 
contributions to date, visit the Financial Tracking Service 
(www.reliefweb.int/fts).

*NOTE: evolving practice is to show funding per cluster, to be in 
accordance with the structure on the ground and in the appeal document. 
Funding per sector is also tracked (see Annex II) because sectors are a 
fixed standard that allows comparison across appeals. For the time 
being, FTS on-line tables will continue to group projects by sector 
rather than cluster.

2.  Context and Humanitarian Consequences

2.1. STRATEGIC CONTEXT

In Lebanon, ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel have 
resulted in the deaths of more than 350 people (45% of them children, 
according to Save the Children) and more than 1,500 injured. Israel has 
not escaped unscathed with some 34 killed and an estimated 200 injured 
across northern cities and towns. Sustained, heavy shelling and air 
strikes by the IDF, which have particularly targeted southern Lebanon, 
southern suburbs of Beirut and the Beqaa Valley, have caused widespread 
destruction of the country's public infrastructure, including hospitals, 
schools and road networks preventing the humanitarian community from 
accessing vulnerable populations and civilians fleeing war-affected 
areas. The IDF's sea, air and land blockade of Lebanon is worsening the 
already-mounting hardships confronting the civilian population, and has 
had devastating consequences. To ensure the consistent delivery of 
relief assistance, the humanitarian community has proposed developing 
humanitarian corridors.

While lack of in situ information has further impaired the provision of 
humanitarian assistance, estimates put the number of persons affected by 
the conflict at approximately 800,000 persons, including internally 
displaced, those under siege, refugees and asylum seekers. Thousands of 
displaced people have fled their homes in cities and villages such as 
Tyre, Nabatyeh, Zahrani and Bint Jbeyl, as well as the southern suburbs 
of Beirut. Many have taken shelter with relatives and friends or in 
schools, mosques and public spaces in the safer eastern parts of Beirut, 
or in the northern and south-eastern districts of Lebanon such as Akkar 
and the Chouf Mountains. Those that have been fortunate enough to escape 
the most heavily-affected regions in the south have headed to larger 
towns such as Sidon while thousands of others have crossed into Syria. 
Further displacement is expected if the conflict continues to escalate. 
With neighbouring countries now feeling the human toll of ongoing 
hostilities, the humanitarian response to the crisis is now being 
planned at a regional level with surge capacity and assistance being 
established in partnership in neighbouring countries.

The country outside Lebanon that has been most affected is Syria. More 
than 150,000 Lebanese, 1,000 Palestinians, and 20,000 Third Country 
Nationals (TCNs) have fled across its borders, mainly through the Aarida 
border crossing. While the majority of these arrivals are staying with 
relatives and friends, more than 20,000 people are currently being 
accommodated and assisted by the Government of Syria and the SARC; this 
number is expected to increase. Although the Government and SARC have 
been able to respond adequately, they have indicated that their 
resources will be exhausted by early August and have, therefore, 
welcomed the support of the United Nations and NGOs, both national and 
international. The strategy in Syria will be twofold: a) to support the 
provision of protection and assistance to populations fleeing the crisis 
in Lebanon into Syria; and b) operational backstopping of relief 
operations into and in Lebanon, given Syria's position as a strategic 
transit point for the delivery of humanitarian supplies.

The overall situation in Lebanon remains fluid, with consequent limits 
on planning the humanitarian response. The range of likely scenarios is 
broad, yet it is necessary to plan for each. Thorough needs assessments 
and appeal revision will follow as soon as practical. What is clear is 
that, given the extraordinarily rapid onset and expanding scale of the 
crisis, there is an urgent need to strengthen the UN Country Team's 
capacity to conduct and coordinate an effective humanitarian response.

2.2. Humanitarian Consequences

Who are the most affected?

Approximately 800,000 people are affected by the conflict. Many of them 
have been internally displaced and are in need of assistance and 
protection or remain essentially trapped in the South. Others have 
become refugees and/or asylum seekers. Particularly vulnerable groups 
include the elderly and chronically ill - especially those confined to 
hospitals, women and children. Lack of access to water and sanitation, 
basic health care, and food are also affecting those communities under 
siege. Those who can - both Lebanese and third country nationals - have 
either fled or been evacuated to Syria and other countries in the 
region.

Whilst some have the means to survive following their arrival in Syria 
many have been forced to flee their homes with only a few meager 
belongings, and have paid hundreds if not thousands of dollars for their 
transportation costs to flee Lebanon and thus arrive with little 
resources. Between 20,000 - 45,000 of the most vulnerable of the 
Lebanese arrivals have been provided with assistance at the border to 
facilitate immigration procedures, registration and family tracing 
services. After this they have been transported to temporary 
accommodation facilities and provided with food, water, medical 
services, and psycho-social help as well as with household items, 
hygiene kits and sanitary materials. In addition some 1,000 Displaced 
Palestinian Refugees required special assistance for their immigration 
procedures, and Third Country Nationals have been assisted during their 
transit to their country of origin or other destinations.

What are the needs as a direct and immediate result of this crisis?

Comprehensive assessments of the protection and assistance needs of the 
affected population have been seriously constrained by access 
difficulties, particularly in the South. Therefore, reliable information 
on the numbers affected and the magnitude and scope of impact and needs 
is not yet available. However, reports indicate that there is a lack of 
essential goods, with needs particularly acute in villages along the 
Israeli-Lebanese border, which have been isolated by the conflict. There 
are reports that food supplies in some villages have been exhausted. The 
widespread destruction of public infrastructure, including roads and 
bridges, as well as the targeting of commercial trucks, has seriously 
hampered relief operations. Additionally, the ongoing hostilities 
continue to prevent access to affected populations and free movement of 
relief staff and goods.

What are the priority sectors for response?

Given the widespread destruction of public infrastructure and threat of 
a total collapse of essential services, humanitarian partners, in close 
collaboration with the Governments of the affected countries and 
relevant authorities, have identified the following priorities for 
response: health, food and nutrition, water and sanitation, logistics, 
protection, shelter and non-food items, and common humanitarian 
services.

In Syria, the priorities for response are: identification of appropriate 
shelter, in light of the imminent reopening of schools where most 
displaced populations are being accommodated; support to site management 
and maintenance; provision of basic food commodities; increasing and 
maintaining water and sanitation facilities at sites; provision of 
hygiene and sanitary kits; provision of basic health services, 
reproductive health support; provision of non-food items, in particular 
household items and clothing; transportation of displaced populations; 
logistical support for storage, handling and transportation of relief 
items; coordination and information support; and assistance to 
Palestinian refugees. The projection is that the total number of those 
fleeing the crisis in Lebanon into Syria will mount to 300,000 Lebanese, 
of whom 75,000 will require assistance and support; as well as 15,000 
Palestinians and 20,000 Third Country Nationals over the next three 
months.

Key to responding to needs of the most vulnerable will be the 
partnership between the United Nations agencies, funds and programmes 
and the UN Department of Safety and Security (DSS). As hostilities 
continue in many areas of Lebanon and the conditions of the population 
in those areas worsens, DSS working in close collaboration with the 
security components of UN agencies will strive towards developing a 
relief programme and operational environment that will bring much-needed 
assistance to the Lebanese population while minimizing the risk to UN 
humanitarian workers.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Executive Summary

2.  Context and Humanitarian Consequences

2.1. Strategic Context
2.2. Humanitarian Consequences

3. Response Plans

3.1. Health
3.2. Food And Nutrition
3.3. Water And Sanitation
3.4. Logistics
3.5. Shelter, Site Management And Non-Food Items
3.6. Protection And Mine Action
3.7. Education
3.8. Common Services

4. Roles and Responsibilities

4.1. Lebanon
4.2. Syria

ANNEX I ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

ANNEX II Summary of Requirements - by Sector

ANNEX III List of projects by appealing organisation


For additional copies, please contact:

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Palais des Nations
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
CH - 1211 Geneva, Switzerland

Tel.: (41 22) 917.1972
Fax: (41 22) 917.0368
E-Mail: cap@reliefweb.int

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Appropriate Donations for International Disaster/Humanitarian Needs
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International              web: www.cidi.org
    Disaster Information          listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
                                guidelines: www.cidi.org/donate.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -