OCHA Situation Report No. 8
Lebanon
31 July 2006


Israeli strike kills 60 - many of them children - in the town of Qana

At least 60 civilians, 34 of them children, were killed today in the 
town of Qana, in southern Lebanon. It was the deadliest Israeli strike 
since the escalation of the conflict two weeks ago. The air-strike 
flattened a three-storey building in which displaced families were said 
to have been sheltering.

UN building in Beirut stormed

Hundreds of protesters staged a violent demonstration today in Beirut in 
response to this air-strike, storming and looting the UN ESCWA building.

WFP forced to cancel aid convoy

WFP was forced to cancel a planned aid convoy to the town of Marjayoun 
in southern Lebanon because Israeli Defense Forces did not concur with 
such an operation. This is a setback for the overall aid convoy 
operations, since tens of thousands of people in the south continue to 
be in desperate need of assistance.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

1. As of 29 July, the Government of Lebanon's Higher Relief Council 
(HRC) reported that 620 people had been killed and 3,225 people injured. 
The UN estimates that some 700,000 people have been displaced so far, 
the majority located in Beirut, Tyre (Sur), Sidon (Saida), the Chouf 
mountains, and the Alea region. Although most displaced are staying with 
relatives and friends, an estimated 125,000 are located in schools and 
public institutions in Lebanon, and 210,000 have fled to neighboring 
countries according to WHO. According to UNHCR in Syria, an estimated 
150,000 Lebanese and third-country nationals have crossed into Syria, 
with approximately 5,000-10,000 newcomers each day.

Access

2. Humanitarian organizations continue to lack consistent, open, and 
safe access to affected populations in Lebanon, although the Government 
of Israel (GOI) has agreed to expand corridors to deliver aid. On 
Friday, 28 July, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Jan Egeland, 
called for a 72-hour pause in the fighting to facilitate aid efforts, 
but Israel on Saturday rejected the call.

3. As reported in sitrep seven, the UN Humanitarian Cargo Coordination 
Center in Beirut has developed the appropriate procedures to facilitate 
the safe delivery of humanitarian relief materials into and throughout 
Lebanon. These procedures have been developed in consultation with the 
Government of Lebanon and with the support of UNTSO and UNSCO in 
Jerusalem, who are in turn working together with the Government of 
Israel (IDF and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) to ensure the 
establishment of safe passages for the delivery of these relief 
materials. Although a humanitarian convoy may obtain IDF's concurrence 
to travel on a road one day, this does not guarantee the same route will 
be open the following day. The road between Aarida, on the Lebanon-Syria 
border, and Beirut is currently the only road open continuously. A 
humanitarian cargo notification procedure has already been put in place 
(available on http://www.unjlc.org/lebanon/cargo/cargomovproc).

4. Both conflict-affected populations and those providing humanitarian 
assistance in the South are exposed to the highest threats when 
traveling by road in Lebanon. A number of conflict-related incidents on 
the roads may explain why displacement of populations in the south has 
not been higher. There are still communities trapped by military 
operations who are afraid to leave their current shelter and travel on 
open roads. For aid workers and the media, traveling in clearly marked 
convoys minimizes, but currently does not eliminate, security threats.

5. WFP was forced to cancel a planned aid convoy to the town of 
Marjayoun in southern Lebanon because Israeli Defense Forces did not 
concur with such an operation. This is a setback for the overall aid 
convoy operations, since tens of thousands of people in the south 
continue to be in desperate need of assistance. The six-truck convoy had 
been meant to take medicines, wheat flour, canned meat and vegetable 
oil. The decision to abort the mission was in accordance with 
established security procedures in Lebanon, under which WFP requires 
concurrence from all parties involved in the conflict for humanitarian 
aid convoy movements. It continues to be virtually impossible to get 
medical supplies and food safely to isolated villages in southern 
Lebanon due to the continued fighting.

Security

6. Security Phase IV remains across the country.

7. Israeli forces withdrew from the southern Lebanese village of Bint 
Jbeil - a Hezbollah stronghold - which they had been trying to take for 
some days and where they sustained their heaviest one-day losses since 
the campaign began. An Israeli air-strike closed the main border 
crossing from Lebanon into Syria, media reports say. Missiles hit the 
road between the two states' immigration posts, but apparently on the 
Lebanese side. A separate Israeli strike wounded two UN monitors in 
their observation post, days after four were killed in Khyam.

8. Hezbollah have been firing rockets into Israel and several 
"katyushas" hit the border town of Kiryat Shemona on Sunday, wounding 
several people, in what residents described as the worst day so far.

Humanitarian situation and international response

9. WFP yesterday inaugurated the first land crossing point at Aarida, on 
the Syrian side of the northern Lebanese border, for regular 
humanitarian shipments into Lebanon. WFP, which is organizing the entire 
UN logistical operation for the Lebanon emergency, sent ten trucks from 
Beirut to pick up the first consignment of aid from Aarida. Seven trucks 
were loaded with tents, mattresses and other shelter materials from 
UNHCR and the remaining three with supplies from UNICEF. Over the coming 
days and weeks, WFP plans to expand international access to Lebanon by 
negotiating the opening of the sea ports of Beirut and Tyre. Further 
convoys from Aarida are planned today and Monday, in parallel with 
continuing overland shipments of aid supplies from Beirut to the south 
of the country.

10. UNHCR's first relief convoy - carrying 140 tonnes of emergency 
relief items for thousands of displaced people in Lebanon - arrived 
safely in Beirut on Saturday after making the journey from Syria. The 
convoy was loaded with 3,500 blankets, 3,600 mattresses, 2,820 
collapsible jerry cans and 54 kitchen sets. Two more convoys are planned 
for Sunday and Monday. Also on Saturday, a UNHCR field team visited the 
local authorities and villages in the mountainous Jbail district where 
20,000 displaced people are living in shelters and with local families.

11. UNICEF has now provided 45 water tanks (5,000 liters capacity) in 
the Beirut, Aley and Chouf areas benefiting 20,000 people. To date the 
fund has provided $1.2 million for medical supplies and other immediate 
assistance and with the help of the Lebanese Red Cross. UNICEF has also 
provided recreational kits and tools to cater for nearly 35,000 children 
in schools or centers occupied by displaced populations.

12. UNDP is continuing its support to the High Relief Committee 
operating under the auspices of the Prime Minister's office. Seven UNDP 
staff members are now working on management and coordination issues 
between the HRC and UN agencies. Similar support is also being provided 
to local authorities, mainly in the Chouf and Aley-Babda areas as well 
as Tyre municipality in the South. UNDP, in coordination with the 
governors of Chouf and Aley, this week established two warehouses and 
continues to distribute non-food items to IDP Centers in the Chouf and 
Aley-Babda.

13. An IOM assessment team is expected to leave Beirut today for 
southern Lebanon both to evaluate the needs of IDPs and to collect as 
many stranded foreigners as it can for evacuation. Nearly 300 Sri 
Lankans were evacuated yesterday by IOM to Syria. An additional 250 
Filipinos and 150 Ethiopians were also assisted on Saturday. Their 
movement will bring to about 2,000 the number of stranded migrants 
evacuated by IOM from Lebanon in the last week.

14. UNEP today expressed grave concern over an oil slick caused by the 
air-strike on the Jiyyeh power utility 30km south of Beirut. The slick 
is now reported to be affecting up to 80 kms of the Lebanese coastline 
and also threatening the Syrian coast. UNEP is putting together a team 
of leading experts ready to assist with the clean-up when hostilities 
cease and has activated its Mediterranean Assistance Unit to mobilize 
key pollution control centers in the region. In addition, the joint 
UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit is also on standby to send a team and is 
closely monitoring the situation.

15. WHO is preparing new shipments of medical supplies to south Lebanon 
and, in both Lebanon and Syria, is working to implement disease 
surveillance systems that are compatible with each other in order to 
enable comparisons and joint monitoring. WHO is also preparing to 
conduct rapid health assessments in shelters hosting Lebanese refugees. 
A disease surveillance system is being set up in several shelters. 
Health Cluster meetings are ongoing in both Beirut and Damascus to 
ensure full coordination among health partners. The Lebanese Ministry of 
Health has requested WHO to act as a channel for all health-related 
donations. In coordination with its national and international partners 
in Beirut, WHO is also urging for compliance with the WHO Guidelines for 
Drug Donations.

16. The ICRC successfully delivered two trucks of food aid to villages 
northeast of Tyre. It was the third such delivery to villages in south 
Lebanon. The convoy reached the town of Bazouriyeh, 10 km east of Tyre, 
and the villages of Jouaiya, Ech Chehabiye and Deir Qanoun en Naher, and 
delivered some 2,000 packs of food aid as well as medical supplies. The 
ICRC has delivered seven convoys of aid from Beirut to Tyre since the 
escalation of the conflict on 12 July. However, delivery of aid to 
isolated south Lebanese villages remains a problem.

17. Church World Service (CWS) announced today that it is responding in 
the region and has issued a $1 million fundraising appeal. The appeal 
will support the work of its partners in the region, the Middle East 
Council of Churches and International Orthodox Christian Charities. CWS 
has expedited a delivery to the region of food, water containers, 
bedding and hygiene parcels.

18. A three-person medical team of NGO International Medical Corps (IMC) 
continues its work at the Jdaidah Check Point on the Syria-Lebanon 
border where Palestinian refugees continue to attempt entry into Syria 
each day. IMC is planning to establish two additional mobile/static 
clinics at other refugee entry points. The IMC also continues to be 
active in and around Tyre supporting the Hiram Hospital and four 
Palestinian refugee camps which house an estimated 40,000 Palestinian 
refugees and an estimated 30,000 Lebanese IDPs

19. The NGO International Relief and Development yesterday sent an 
assessment team to Lebanon, to help determine how the organization can 
help IDPs cope with their need for food, shelter and medical care.

Logistics Arrangements

20. WFP has issued an "InterAgency Transport and Logistics Standard 
Operating Procedures" in support to its Special Operation. The SOP 
describe how WFP, on behalf of the UN, will establish supply routes into 
Lebanon by sea and land, using UN chartered vessels and trucks. The SOPs 
are for all UN Agencies and authorized NGOs, i.e., NGO partners of UN 
Agencies operating in Lebanon or those who have been certified by OCHA. 
The plan will be implemented in cooperation with UNJLC. The SOP 
addresses the following:

a) Consolidation of cargo outside Lebanon: First transit hubs for the 
consolidation and trans-shipment of relief commodities are being 
established in Cyprus and Syria. UNJLC will be responsible for 
prioritizing incoming cargo in accordance with established needs.

b) Transport of goods from Cyprus: WFP, on behalf of the "UN logistics 
service", will take responsibility for all cargo on receipt at either 
Larnaca airport or Limassol port; transport the cargo to the 
consolidation point in Limassol and prepare the load for onward shipment 
to Lebanon.

c) Transport of goods to Lebanon: All humanitarian sea freight will be 
consolidated in Beirut port, and, security permitting, in Tripoli and 
Tyre ports. In case access to Lebanese ports remains impossible, 
Lattakia will be used.

21. The SOP also addresses a number of key issues, including transport 
assets to be made available, logistics coordination with parties to the 
conflict, customs clearances, storage and fuel arrangements, as well as 
the issue of secondary transport and final delivery.

22. Further to its activation (on 25 July) UNJLC deployed yesterday 
three staff to Cyprus, Syria and Beirut. Several more staff (including 
the Chief of the UNJLC Core Unit in Rome) are expected to travel to 
Beirut and Syria in the course of next week. Contracts are being issued 
for a period of three months. It is understood that the whole UNJLC team 
in the area will consist of some 18 people. The main base of UNJLC will 
be in Beirut (and not in Limasol, as announced earlier). In Cyprus, 
UNJLC is about to open an office in Larnaca and intends to move in 
imminently.

Issues of concern

- Shortages of food and non-food items for displaced population.

- Little or no access to targeted areas due to damaged roads and 
insecurity.

- Destruction of communications infrastructure, including mobile 
cellular antennas, has disrupted communication links throughout the 
country.

- Destruction of factories has stopped production of many local food and 
non-food items.

- According to the government, estimated unemployment rates have reached 
75% and total losses are now estimated at $4 billion USD.

This situation report, together with additional information on the 
current crisis, is also available on http://www.reliefweb.int. As your 
tool for timely information sharing, please encourage submissions of 
documents and maps by email to submit@reliefweb.int.

Contact Details:

Desk Officers:
  (New York) Mr. Carlos Monteiro-Pereira, Tel: +1-212-963-4639
  (New York) Mr. Ben Negus, Tel: +1-917-367-4374
  (New York) Ms. Heidi Kuttab, Tel: +1-917-367-33 65

Press contact:
  (New York) Ms. Stephanie Bunker, Tel: +1-917-367-5126


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