• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

UNRWA Situation Report #7 on the Lebanon Emergency Response. All information from 11 October - 14 October 2024, valid as of 14 October 2024 at 13:00

UNRWA

15 Oct 2024

Key Points

• UNRWA activated its Emergency Response in Lebanon on 24 September. The Agency is currently operating 11 emergency shelters across the country, several of which are operating at full capacity - with efforts ongoing to expand the capacity to meet expected demand.
• In addition to the emergency response, UNRWA is working to sustain its regular operations while adapting interventions on an ad hoc basis across its five areas of intervention: South, Saida, Central Lebanon (Beirut), Beqaa, and the North. In Tyre, activities remain suspended, with only minimal water and sanitation services provided. The Saida, Beqaa, and Beirut areas are operating in emergency mode, characterized by limited movement and a focus on life-saving and essential services. In the northern area, operations are fully functional. UNRWA interventions are reviewed daily in response to the evolving security situation and context.
• On 3 October, UNRWA launched a Flash Appeal for US$ 27.3 million to address the urgent humanitarian needs resulting from the ongoing escalation in Lebanon, in addition to the displacement of some populations from Lebanon into Syria, over the next 90 days.
• The 11 shelters currently operated by UNRWA are located in the following areas: one in Beirut (Yabud School), four in the Saida Area (Siblin Training Centre, Nablus School, Rafidya School, Beir Zeit/Beit Jala School), five in the north (Toubas School, Amqa School, Mount Tabour School, Battir School, and Majeddo and Mazar school - all in Nahr el-Bared Camp), and one in Beqaa (Jarmaq School, in Zahle District).
• UNRWA is working with a range of partner organisations (community based, local NGOs and international NGOs) in all of its emergency shelters in order to provide a full range of services, including hot meals and psychosocial support activities. In its emergency response, UNRWA has relied on the dedication and commitment of partners on the ground.
• As of 14 October 2024, a total of 4,054[1] Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are registered in UNRWA shelters.
• UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini has recently visited Lebanon. During his mission, he attended high level meetings on the ongoing situation in the country, and visited some UNRWA emergency shelters.

Overall Situation

• The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports a total of 746,584 IDPs (52 per cent female and 48 per cent male) between 8 October 2023 and 13 October 2024. New displacements continue to be reported, and counting is ongoing.[1] Displacement surpasses that of the 2006 war, according to OCHA.[2]
• During the reporting period, Israeli airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs and on villages in southern and eastern Lebanon continued at high intensity. Casualties are on the rise as Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health has reported 2,169 deaths and 10,212 injuries,[3] with vulnerable populations the worst affected.
• Education institutions in Lebanon remain closed, with the start of the school year postponed to 4 November following an announcement from the Ministry of Education and 111 Higher Education (MEHE). At least 60 per cent of the country's public schools are currently being used as shelters for the displaced, impacting over 300,000 children's access to education.
• As of 1 October, 1,156 households, representing a total of 4,054 people, are registered in UNRWA emergency shelters across the country. Of these, approximately 41 per cent are Palestine Refugees from Lebanon, 20 per cent are Palestine Refugees from Syria, 17 per cent are Lebanese, and 19 per cent are Syrian. Additionally, about 1 per cent are of other nationalities, with less than 1 per cent classified as non-ID or falling into the "others" category.

[1] IOM Displacement Matrix: Lebanon - Mobility Snapshot - Round 53 - 14-10-2024

[2] OCHA Flash Appeal: Lebanon, October - December 2024 (October 2024): Flash Appeal: Lebanon, October - December 2024 (October 2024) | OCHA (unocha.org)

[3] OCHA Flash Update #34 - Escalation of hostilities in Lebanon, as of 10 October 2024: Lebanon: Flash Update #34 - Escalation of hostilities in Lebanon, as of 10 October 2024 - Lebanon | ReliefWeb

Humanitarian Access, Protection of Civilians

• Humanitarian access remains severely restricted in the south of the country. A large percentage of the population of the three Palestine Refugee camps in the Tyre area is reported to have left. UNRWA services in these camps have been limited mainly to sanitation and water services. A team of UNRWA health workers managed to reach Rashadieh camp in the Tyre Area on 14 October and distributed critical medications to the remaining population. The same activity was planned for Burj Shemali camp, but it was cancelled due to the security environment.
• No casualties among UNRWA staff have been reported over the past three days. UNRWA security team closely monitors the situation and staff movements to ensure the safety of frontline workers.
• No additional damage to UNRWA facilities was reported during the reporting period. Since the onset of the emergency, three facilities — Qastal School in Baalbek (Beqaa) and Mansoura School in Tyre (south), and the Burj Al-Barajneh Health Centre — have sustained minor damage.

Partnerships

• UNRWA is currently operating 11 emergency shelters across the country, several of which have now reached maximum capacity, with efforts underway to expand the capacity where feasible.
• In all areas UNRWA coordinates with local partners to provide additional services to displaced persons. This has been especially important in the initial phase of the emergency response where partners have been instrumental in providing critical services, including hot meals, ready-to-eat parcels, psychosocial activities and protection related services. At each emergency shelter, a co-support partner has been identified. These co-support partners include Nabaa, Tadamon, Beit Atfal El-Somoud, Najdeh, Mobader, and the Arab Resource Center for Popular Arts (ARCPA).
• UNRWA has made psychosocial support (PSS) and case management services available to all nationalities in the emergency shelters in coordination with co-support partners such as Najdeh, Nabaa, Tadamon, ARCPA, Mobader, and Beit Atfal El Somoud. UNRWA, along with UNICEF and the technical lead partner MAP, has established a psychosocial support response modality where co-support partners address gaps in services and act as primary providers when and where UNRWA staff presence is limited, ensuring continuity of support within the emergency shelters.
• UNRWA has been coordinating closely with UN Agencies and international organisations, including the IOM, UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP), the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Save the Children International (SCI), and Action Against Hunger (ACF).

UNRWA Shelters

• On 7 October 2024, UNRWA closed the Deir El Kassi Emergency Shelter near Mieh Mieh Palestine Refugee Camp in Saida. The Agency has been communicating publicly that any infringement on its efforts to maintain humanitarian principles in these shelters cannot be tolerated. In light of this, individuals previously accommodated there have been redirected to alternative emergency shelters.

Programmatic & Operational Response

Health

• The further deterioration of the security situation across the country has impacted UNRWA's health care capacities. As of 14 October, out of 27 UNRWA health centres, 12 are operational and 15 are closed. All health centres in the Tyre area are closed, and two remain open in the Beirut area. In contrast, the situation in the north is more stable, with all centres functioning in both the northern area and the Bekaa Valley.
• UNRWA health activities were suspended in the Tyre area due to security concerns. Accessing the remaining population in Palestine Refugee camps, including Rashidiyeh, Burj Shemali and Al Buss, presents significant challenges. A team of UNRWA health workers managed to reach Rashadieh camp in the Tyre Area on 14 October and distributed critical medications. The plan was to also conduct the same activity in Burj Shemali camp, but this part of the plan was cancelled due to the security environment. On 24 September, UNRWA activated its Emergency Hospitalization Response to provide treatment for wounded civilians at contracted hospitals. During the reporting period, a total of four emergency hospitalizations were recorded, following airstrikes on Barja village, Saida.
• The UNRWA Protection team has facilitated the involvement of Women Committees in Nahr el-Bared, Beddawi, and Ein El Hilweh camps, who are supporting food and non-food item (NFI) distributions to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in their areas. The unit is also mapping the presence of these committees and evaluating their capacity to adapt their plans and roles in the emergency context.
• Over the weekend, UNRWA Protection team and the Relief and Social Services (RSS) team conducted the second round of online sessions focused on community engagement. The target audience included Social Workers (SWs), Area Social Work Supervisors (ASWS), and School Counsellors (SCs). The sessions aimed to discuss practical steps for engaging the community in the emergency shelters management, including identifying respected community members to assist in problem-solving, encouraging community volunteerism in shelter's functions, ensuring the inclusion of diverse population groups, and fostering positive relationships within the community.

Sanitation Services/WASH

• Solid waste management remains a significant challenge across all areas:

1. On 13 October, the UNRWA sanitation team successfully removed garbage from the El Buss camp in cooperation with the municipality of Tyre.
2. In Beirut and the north area, the high volume of waste generated by the camps and UNRWA emergency shelters exceeds UNRWA's capacity. In response, UNRWA has increased waste disposal trips and dedicated staff.
3. In Ein El Hilweh camp, military security restrictions at the entrance limit what can enter, reducing the number of solid waste disposal trips and exacerbating waste accumulation within the camp.
4. In Saida, the municipality has resumed garbage collection, improving the overall situation.
5. UNRWA team is also conducting maintenance and repairs across all 11 emergency shelters, prioritizing WASH utilities, shower units, electrical systems, and other essential services.

Logistics

• The security situation continues to affect logistics operations. Movements remain challenging, and the Agency continues to face difficulties in securing trucks and drivers in southern areas to move supplies and for garbage disposal, as many individuals continue to leave to the north.
• A convoy of seven UNRWA trucks, loaded with food items, mattresses, hygiene kits, and other supplies, has reached the Lebanon border near Arida, in northern Lebanon, and is currently waiting for customs clearance. The supplies will be distributed to UNRWA shelters across the country.
• Kitchen equipment, including fridges, ovens, and small appliances for the community kitchen to be established in the emergency shelters, has been received and stocked by UNRWA logistics teams across warehouses. These items will be dispatched in the coming days.