OCHA Situation Report No. 3
Lebanon
25 July 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Ref: OCHA/NY - 2006/0003

FLASH APPEAL ON THE LEBANON CRISIS LAUNCHED TODAY

1. The UN Flash Appeal for Lebanon was launched today in Beirut and New 
York seeking a total of $149 million US to meet the needs of some 
800,000 people. The appeal covers an initial response of three months in 
priority areas including food, health, logistics, water and sanitation, 
protection and common services. As part of the appeal, $5 million is 
being allocated from the Central Emergency Response Fund for logistics, 
water and sanitation, common services and health care.

2. The ERC Jan Egeland reiterated the call to establish humanitarian 
corridors in Lebanon, specifically to the ports of Beirut, Tripoli, and 
Tyre, as the only way for the humanitarian organizations to reach 
thousands of people in need of urgent relief assistance.

3. Most of the delegations participating in the launching expressed full 
support for the Flash Appeal, and updated on their current humanitarian 
relief activities in support of the victims of the conflict. During the 
meeting a total of approximately US$ 200 million was reported, between 
in-kind and cash contributions, bilateral, contributions to ICRC, NGOs 
and some amounts specifically for the United Nations. A more detailed 
list of contributions covering the Flash Appeal will be posted in the 
situation report.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

4. The number of casualties and displaced persons continues to increase. 
Official figures report 346 dead and over 1,234 injured, the great 
majority civilians. Thirty-seven Israelis have been killed, about half 
of them civilians.

5. Fierce fighting erupted this morning as Israeli ground forces pushed 
into Lebanon overnight, heading towards the Hezbollah stronghold of Bint 
Jbeil. Rockets continued to fall on northern Israel. Bombing continues 
in South Lebanon, the southern suburb of Beirut, Bekaa, Baalbek and 
Hermel.

Security

6. Heavy exchanges of fire continued along the length of the Blue Line 
in the last 24 hours. One unarmed UN military observer, a member of the 
Observer Group Lebanon, was seriously wounded by small arms fire in the 
patrol base in the Marun Al Ras area. There were nine other incidents of 
firing close to UN positions during the past 24 hours.

7. The Israeli military hit the Rashidiyeh Palestine Refugee camp in 
Tyre today for the first time in its offensive, wounding 6 people. Two 
people were reported killed in the Israeli raid on the base of the 
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in the Bekaa.

8. UNIFIL informed that at around 1045hrs (NYT) today, three GHANBATT 
peacekeepers were injured when shells hit their base at UN position 
5-22, south of Rmeich. A potential medical evacuation to either UNIFIL 
HQ in Naqoura or UN position 8-18 is currently being considered. There 
was no further information available at this stage as to the seriousness 
of their injuries. Further updates and related developments will be 
communicated as soon as obtained.

Humanitarian Situation

9. The total number of affected people includes some 150,000 Lebanese, 
1,000 Palestinians and 20,000 Third Country Nationals who have reached 
Syria. In addition, 115,000 Third Country Nationals (TCNs) from some 20 
countries remain in Lebanon.

10. As the conflict continues, food stocks in many parts of Lebanon are 
running low. Shortages of water are already a reality in parts of 
southern Lebanon due to a lack of electricity and fuel. The possibility 
of shortages of medical supplies in health facilities in the coming 
weeks is of growing concern. While medical and food stocks are available 
delivery is almost impossible in many parts of the country. Hospitals 
and medical centers are rapidly reaching the point at which they will 
need to be restocked. A fuel crisis is said to be imminent.

11. An ICRC assessment noted in Tyre the number of IDPs fluctuates 
widely (those leaving for Beirut are replaced by people arriving from 
outlying areas). Water shortages are reported and hygiene conditions are 
poor. In Tyre District reports indicate that an estimated 110,000 
people, both the displaced and residents, may soon run out of 
food/water. In many southern villages, dead bodies remain buried under 
the rubble.

International Response

12. The first UNICEF charter flight left Copenhagen on 22 July for the 
region carrying 38 tonnes of supplies, including water kits, oral 
rehydration salts and essential drugs. A second plane left from 
Luxembourg for the region on Sunday, 23 July, carrying further much 
needed supplies.

13. UNHCR is positioning more than 500 metric tons of relief supplies 
along the Syria-Lebanon border. As part of a joint U.N. approach to the 
crisis, UNHCR will be responsible for protection activities as well as 
for shelter, site management and provision of non-food aid items. 
UNHCR's work will also involve border monitoring and facilitating entry 
for all new arrivals in Syria.

14. Following the arrival on Sunday of the WFP's first shipment of 
humanitarian assistance in Lebanon, twenty-five metric tons of high 
energy biscuits, the agency launched an emergency operation that will 
reach over 300,000 people, including 50,000 people who have fled across 
the border to Syria.

15. WHO, along with other health partners, is supporting the national 
authorities in meeting urgent needs, which include access to safe 
drinking water, health care, vaccines and life saving medications for 
the rapidly increasing number of displaced people in shelters in Lebanon 
and Syria. Collaboration with other health agencies is to be instituted 
through the health cluster mechanism.

16. IOM's IDP team has started to arrive in Beirut today. Requests have 
been received from the Governments of Bangladesh, Ghana, Nepal, Moldova, 
Iraq, Egypt, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Paraguay, Philippines, 
Russia, South Africa, Sudan, Venezuela and Vietnam for evacuations of 
their nationals. IOM has established a presence in Larnaca to assist 
with the arrival of non-European nationals.

17. The ICRC is coordinating the action of the Red Cross / Red Crescent 
Movement in Lebanon, in close cooperation with the Lebanese Red Cross 
Society, with its 2,400 volunteers, 42 ambulance stations and over 50 
clinics and other medical facilities across the country, has been active 
since the first day of the crisis.

18. Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation's (VVAF) Information 
Management and Mine Action Programs (iMMAP) will soon be deploying a 
specialist to Lebanon to provide emergency relief services as conflict 
surmounts. The United Nations Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC) and the 
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 
(OCHA) have asked for iMMAP's immediate assistance in emergency 
information management services overseas as the agency plans relief 
operations.

19. OCHA's Environmental Emergencies Section (part of the joint 
UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit) is looking into deploying experts to deal 
with the most acute environmental issues arising from damaged industrial 
facilities.

20. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is dispatching emergency 
specialists to the region to assess urgent humanitarian needs. Emergency 
team members head to the area this week from Dubai to examine conditions 
for the hundreds of thousands of civilians who have been impacted by the 
fighting and are uprooted from their homes. The rest of the IRC's 
emergency response team is on standby for deployment.

This situation report, together with additional information on the 
current crisis is also available on http://www.reliefweb.int

Contact Details

Desk Officers:

(New York)
Mr. Carlos Monteiro-Pereira
Tel: +1-212-963-4639

Mr. Ben Negus
Tel: +1-917-367-4374

Ms. Heidi Kuttab
Tel: +1-917-367-33 65


Press contact:

(NY)
Ms. Kristen Knutson
Tel: +1-917-367-9262

(GVA)
Ms. Elizabeth Byrs
Tel: +41-22-917-2653


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