OCHA Situation Report No. 9
Lebanon
1 August 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

Air-strikes resume despite Israeli 48-hour halt offer

Overall, less fighting was reported today than at anytime during the 
past fortnight. Despite an offer to suspend air-strikes, the IDF 
attacked targets in southern Lebanon after Hezbollah guerrillas attacked 
an Israeli tank, injuring three soldiers. The attacks came despite an 
offer to suspend air strikes in Lebanon for 48 hours following its 
devastating attack on town of Qana which killed 60 civilians, 34 of them 
children. According to press reports, Israeli Prime Minister Olmert said 
there would be no ceasefire after all and that Israeli forces would 
continue fighting in Lebanon.

'Operational Plan' under development

The UN Country Team in Lebanon is finalizing an operational plan 
outlining humanitarian needs and priorities based on information to 
date. It is expected the plan will be finalized by 2 August. However, 
the UN team fears that an impending fuel shortage may hamper operational 
efficiency until such time as re-supply can be organized.

UN convoys leave Beirut for south

Two UN aid convoys from Beirut, coordinated by WFP, reached Tyre and 
Qana this afternoon. The five truck convoy for Qana carried wheat flour, 
canned food and vegetable oil while the eight truck convoy for Tyre 
carried UNWRA supplies for Palestinian refugee camps in the area. The 
usual 80-minute drive from Beirut to Tyre now takes on average 
seven-to-nine hours due to the difficult road conditions.

UNIFIL evacuates civilians and comes under fire behind the Blue Line

UNIFIL safely evacuated 150 civilians from the town of Rmaich, behind 
the Blue Line, today. However, operations conducted simultaneously to 
evacuate civilians from the villages of Ramyah and Ayta ash Shab were 
halted as the convoys came under attack by elements of Hezbollah.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Displacement Update

1. As of 29 July, the Government of Lebanon's (GoL) Higher Relief 
Council (HRC) reported that 620 people had been killed and 3,225 people 
injured. The HRC reports that an estimated 907,000 people, or a quarter 
of the population, have fled their homes; in comparison, current UN 
estimates indicate 700,000 have been displaced. The majority of 
displaced are located in Beirut, Tyre (Sur), Sidon (Saida), the Chouf 
mountains, and the Alea region. A list of estimated populations 
remaining in 35 villages in UNIFIL areas of operation was submitted 
today through the CMCoord Officer for distribution to UN agencies.

2. According to WHO, while the majority of displaced in Lebanon are 
staying with relatives and friends, an estimated 125,000 are located in 
schools and public institutions. Additionally, an estimated 210,000 have 
fled to neighboring countries. Some 115,000 TCNs from some 20 countries 
continue to remain trapped in Lebanon. In Syria, UNHCR have reported an 
estimated 150,000 Lebanese and TCNs, with approximately 5,000-to-10,000 
arrivals each day.

3. The 20-day-old conflict has caused extensive damage to residential 
areas and key civilian infrastructure, including bridges and road 
networks, hampering relief operations and leaving entire communities in 
the south inaccessible. An Israeli air-strike on a power plant on the 
outskirts of Beirut has caused a major oil spill raising alarms of a 
possible environmental crisis.

4. Prices for basic goods are skyrocketing and there is an increasing 
lack of essential goods, with needs particularly acute in villages along 
the Israeli-Lebanese border. Hospitals in the south are reporting 
shortages of electricity due to lack of fuel and generators.

SECURITY

5.  Security Phase IV remains across the country. Heavy exchanges of 
fire continued along the length of the Blue Line in the past 24 hours. 
Fighting was particularly heavy in the northeast corner of south Lebanon 
around Taibeh and other border villages. Heavy fire has been reported 
yesterday and this morning in the general areas of Kafer Kela, Al 
Tayyabah, Ett Taibe, Deir Mimes, Ramyah, Ayta Ash Shaab and Op Lab. 
UNIFIL also reported that Sunday afternoon a UN Position south of 
Markaba, sustained a direct hit. No casualties were reported.

6. The situation in Beirut is reported as calm, but tense.

7. Two Katyusha rockets landed in open areas near Kiryat Shmona Monday 
afternoon, according to media reports, igniting brush fires but causing 
no injuries.

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

8. Two UN aid convoys from Beirut, coordinated by WFP, reached Tyre and 
Qana this afternoon. The five truck convoy for Qana carried wheat flour, 
canned food and vegetable oil, while the eight truck convoy for Tyre 
carried UNWRA supplies for Palestinian refugee camps in the area.

The usual 80 minute drive from Beirut to Tyre now takes on average 
seven-to-nine hours due to the difficult road conditions.

9. The UN is planning four more convoys tomorrow including a nine truck 
convoy to the north (to assist displaced people) with UNICEF and UNHCR 
supplies. Three convoys are planned to the south including a four truck 
convoy with WFP and UNICEF supplies for Naquora. An eight truck convoy 
is schedules to the border village of Rmaish with WFP, UNICEF, HRC and 
Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) supplies and a six truck convoy to Tibbin 
with supplies from WFP, UNICEF and UNDP.

10. A UNHCR convoy which stopped overnight in Tripoli en route from the 
Al Aarida border crossing point arrived in Beirut today. Today's convoy 
from Syria, carrying mainly tents, was cancelled but is expected to 
proceed tomorrow. UNHCR now has clearance to bring in 140 mt daily on 
the

Al Aarida route. Normal UNHCR operations in Lebanon continue with 
materials including mattresses and blankets distributed today in the 
Aley Valley with the help of the municipal authorities and UNHCR local 
staff.

11. IOM has supported the transportation of 2,122 TCNs from Lebanon to 
their home countries via land and air movements. IOM is seeking to 
evacuate as many as possible within the next few days as the 
organization fears logistical difficulties may arise with transportation 
companies because of security issues and the scarcity of fuel.

12. A convoy of UNFPA health supplies from Beirut is expected to reach 
southern areas tomorrow or Wednesday. The convoy will transport medical 
supplies and equipment to treat up to 30,000 pregnant women. Also 
included are hygiene kits for 6,000 families. In Syria, UNFPA has 
organized an inter-agency rapid assessment on health and protection 
issues for Lebanese refugees, to be carried out together with UNICEF, 
WHO and WFP. UNFPA is also working with the Syrian Family Planning 
Association, which has been active with a mobile clinic supplied by 
UNFPA -- visiting border area and other places where Lebanese refugees 
are stranded.

13. A measles campaign supported by UNICEF is due to start tomorrow. All 
children from nine months to 15 years will be targeted in 144 IDP 
locations in Beirut. A number of NGOs are involved and the campaign will 
be closely coordinated with the MoH and WHO. Vitamin A will also be 
administered to children from 9 to 56 months. UNICEF has also received 
350 family water kits and 200,000 doses of Vitamin A in Beirut today via 
a Jordanian Military flight. This is UNICEF's second airlift of supplies 
into Beirut.

14. The WHO is harmonizing disease surveillance systems in temporary 
shelters in Lebanon and Syria and is purchasing drugs both in Lebanon 
and neighbouring countries. The organization is also sending 7,500 
dialysis filters to the Lebanese MoH. An acute shortage of 
antiretroviral drugs for approximately 200 HIV/AIDS patients in Beirut 
exists, and WHO is looking into supplying three types of drugs. Due to 
the large numbers of blood transfusions, WHO is trying to ensure all 
blood is tested for HIV. The second mental health workshop will be held 
in Damascus today and will be replicated in Lebanon once the security 
situation allows.

15. The ICRC provided more than 1,000 families with emergency aid in 
eight villages south of Tyre (Hasbaya, Borj el Muluk, Marjayoun and 
Kleia, Kfar Kila, Taybe, Khiam and Addayseh). Each family was given a 
food parcel that will last them a week, along with a supply of hygiene 
items. On 29 July, the ICRC gave one-week food parcels to 170 resident 
and displaced families sheltering in the schools of Kleia, a village 
near Marjayoun.

16. Islamic Relief (IR) has launched an emergency appeal for E4 million. 
IR disaster response staff has now arrived in Syria to assess the 
situation and to coordinate efforts with the UN and other agencies. IR 
aid workers are also en route to southern Lebanon. IR has provided over 
E50,000 to partners in Lebanon to distribute food, medicine, household 
supplies, and other relief items.

17. Save the Children is supporting 11 local Lebanese partners in 
southern Lebanon and Beirut to address the immediate and urgent needs of 
the displaced. Save the Children is providing desperately needed food 
and NFIs for IDP children and families in 52 centers in the south 
including 36 centers in Saida and 11 centers in Jezzine. The alliance 
has also provided emergency food boxes to 50 families blockaded in Tyre.

18. Mercy Corps' emergency response team is similarly providing 
essential supplies to 100,000 displaced people in Lebanon living in 
"transit centers" set up in schools. Daily distributions of emergency 
food and NFIs continue in numerous villages and towns in the Chouf area, 
east of Beirut.

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.

Convoy Movement Record

|---+-------+-------+-----------+-------+--------------|
|   | Date  |Origin |Destination|Trucks | Description  |
|---+-------+-------+-----------+-------+--------------|
| 1 |26-Jul |Beirut |Tyre       |  10   |N/A           |
|---+-------+-------+-----------+-------+--------------|
| 2 |28-Jul |Beirut |Sida       |  10   |N/A           |
|---+-------+-------+-----------+-------+--------------|
| 3 |28-Jul |Beirut |Jezzin     |   8   |N/A           |
|---+-------+-------+-----------+-------+--------------|
| 4 |29-Jul |Beirut |Beirut     |  10   |N/A           |
|---+-------+-------+-----------+-------+--------------|
| 5 |30-Jul |Beirut |Beirut     |   8   |UNHCR,UNICEF  |
|---+-------+-------+-----------+-------+--------------|
| 6 |31-Jul |Beirut |Tyre       |  11   |UNRWA(10),    |
|   |       | -     |           |       |MSF(1)        |
|---+-------+-------+-----------+-------+--------------|
| 7 |31-Jul |Beirut |Qana       |   5   |WFP: (3)      |
|   |       |       |           |       |WFP: (2)      |
|---+-------+-------+-----------+-------+--------------|
| 8 |01-Aug |Aarida |Beirut     |   9   |UNHCR/UNICEF: |
|   |       |       |           |       |(6)           |
|   |       |       |           |       |UNRWA: (3)    |
|---+-------+-------+-----------+-------+--------------|
| 9 |01-Aug |Beirut |Naquora    |   4   |WFP: (2)      |
|   |       |       |           |       |UNICEF: (2)   |
|---+-------+-------+-----------+-------+--------------|
|10 |01-Aug |Beirut |Rmaish     |   8   |UNDP: (1)     |
|   |       |       |           |       |WFP: (2)      |
|   |       |       |           |       |UNICEF: (3)   |
|   |       |       |           |       |UNDP/HRC/NAP: |
|   |       |       |           |       |(1)           |
|   |       |       |           |       |UNHCR: (1)    |
|---+-------+-------+-----------+-------+--------------|
|11 |01-Aug |Beirut |Tebnin     |   6   |UNICEF: (2)   |
|   |       |       |           |       |WFP: (2)      |
|   |       |       |           |       |NAP: (1)      |
|   |       |       |           |       |HRC: (1)      |
|---+-------+-------+-----------+-------+--------------|

Please note:

- That all details in the table have been provided by WFP.
- The spelling of place names needs to be confirmed.
- In the 'Description' column ( ) denotes the breakdown of trucks.


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