OCHA Situation Report No. 4
Lebanon
26 July 2006


UN truck relief convoy to reach Tyre, while negotiations continue for 
safe passage

1. The UN is seeking safe passage through three Lebanese ports. 
Initially, it hopes to have two ships ferrying supplies into Beirut from 
Cyprus, with the ports of Tripoli, in the north, and Tyre, in the south, 
to be added later. The Israeli authorities have agreed to expand 
corridors in Lebanon to deliver aid and, as of today, the road between 
Beirut and Syrian Border Crossing at Aarida is now cleared for UN 
movements. Movements on this route will proceed on the basisi of 
controlled packages with advanced notifications arrangements. The UN is 
also seeking to set up a staging area on the border to receive aid and 
prioritize it for distribution.

2. The UN has 100 trucks contracted or on their way to deliver aid 
within Lebanon. The first convoy could head south from Beirut to Sidon 
and Tyre as early as tomorrow and the UN is working on details with the 
Israeli military.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

3. WHO reports 357 Lebanese have now been killed and 1,500 injured, the 
great majority civilians. BBC reports 42 Israelis have died in nearly 
two weeks of conflict in Lebanon. The number of displaced people in 
Lebanon ranges between 500,000 and 750,000 and growing. A preliminary 
assessment of the damage to civilian infrastructure in Lebanon is 
estimated at two billion dollars so far.

4. The conflict has caused enormous damage to residential areas and key 
civilian infrastructure such as power plants, seaports and fuel depots 
and has seriously hampered relief operations. Hundreds of bridges and 
virtually all road networks have been systematically destroyed, leaving 
entire communities in the south inaccessible. Prices for basic goods 
such as sugar and cooking gas are skyrocketing and there is an 
increasing lack of essential goods, with needs particularly acute in 
villages along the Israeli-Lebanese border.

Security

5.  Security Phase IV remains across the country. Heavy exchanges of 
fire continued along the Blue Line, with Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) 
artillery and air strikes targeting Hezbollah positions, firing 
platforms, local infrastructure and communications.  The tank round from 
the Israeli side that impacted on the UNIFIL position south of Rmaich, 
slightly injuring four Ghanaian battalion members caused also extensive 
material damage to the position/. There were six other instances of 
firing close to UN positions from the Israeli side in the last 24 hours.

6. Israeli troops sealed off the southern Lebanese town of Bent Jbeil 
amid fierce fighting with Hezbollah, but there are conflicting reports 
as to whether it has fallen to Israeli forces. Israel resumed air raids 
on Beirut, with explosions heard in southern suburbs - a Hezbollah 
stronghold.

Humanitarian situation International response

7.  The Higher Relief Council estimates the movement of Lebanese 
displaced as follows:

|------------+-------------------------|
| Population | Other Information       |
| Displaced  |                         |
|------------+-------------------------|
|  110,080   | In schools              |
|            | Official Figures        |
|------------+-------------------------|
|  500,000   | Sheltered with          |
|            | families, friends,      |
|            | churches, mosques, etc. |
|------------+-------------------------|
|  100,000   | Syria, Jordan, Cyprus,  |
|            | and Gulf area.          |
|------------+-------------------------|
|  710,080   |                         |
|------------+-------------------------|


8. It should be highlighted that approximately 1,000 Palestinians and 
20,000 Third Country Nationals have reached Syria. However, 115,000 
Third Country Nationals (TCNs) from some 20 countries remain in Lebanon.

9. WFP, on behalf of the UN system, hopes to start internal convoys to 
the south beginning tomorrow. Early next week the agency hopes to start 
convoys directly from the town of Arida on the northern border with 
Syria, provided that required security conditions are created for this 
operation, as the country is in UN security phase IV.

10. WHO is addressing the shortages of medical supplies and medicines 
and is working with the Ministry of Health and health partners to 
establish an epidemic early warning and outbreak response system in 
displaced areas

11. UNHCR relief supplies for over 20,000 displaced and distressed 
people in Lebanon continue to sit in Syria awaiting a safe route into 
Lebanon. The agency has hundreds of tons of tents, mattresses, blankets 
and other aid stockpiled in Syria and elsewhere which could be delivered 
in a matter of hours with appropriate access.

12. UNDP is supporting the emergency response set up to the PM's office 
and the High Relief Committee, including managerial and data management, 
as well as liaison capacity for external relations with the 
international community.

13.  The first ICRC emergency aid deliveries by sea reached Beirut today 
which included thirty-four tons of ICRC emergency items. During the last 
three days, aircraft chartered by the ICRC have delivered 90 tons of 
relief. More flights are expected in the coming days.

Cluster issues

14. OCHA is liaising with agencies to help formalize the cluster 
approach in Lebanon. OCHA met with UNICEF and UNHCR to discuss the 
establishment of the Protection Cluster. WFP, as cluster lead for 
Logistics, is now responsible for all logistics arrangements for 
supplies coming into and around Lebanon for the UN humanitarian 
operation. On behalf of the UN, IFRC will be responsible for the 
commodity tracking and monitoring of the supply pipeline.

Donor Response

15. Thus far, in response to the UN Flash Appeal for Lebanon launched 
yesterday in Beirut and New York, totaling US $149 million, Canada has 
pledged $500,000 (Canadian), the European Commission 10 million euros, 
Finland 1.5 million euros, Ireland 500,000euros, New Zealand $500,000, 
and Trinidad and Tobago $50,000.  Further pledges expected to be 
announced soon by other donors, including Australia, Denmark, Germany, 
Japan, Norway, Spain, UK and US.

Constraints

- Security and safe access

- Limited availability of information & fluid situation.

- Availability of fuel is extremely limited, as the remaining fuel 
stocks have run out.

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

Contact Details

|---------------------+-----------------+-----------------|
|Desk Officers: (New  |Mr. Carlos       |Tel:             |
|York)                |Monteiro-Pereira |+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      |Tel:             |
|                     |Knutson          |+1-917-367-9262  |
|---------------------+-----------------+-----------------|
|(GVA)                |Ms. Elizabeth    |Tel:             |
|                     |Byrs             |+41-22-917-2653  |
|---------------------+-----------------+-----------------|

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