• 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 #13 on the Lebanon Emergency Response: All information from 7 November - 12 November 2024, valid as of 12 November 2024 at 1:00 PM

UNRWA

17 Nov 2024

Key Points

• UNRWA activated its Emergency Response in Lebanon on 24 September. The Agency is currently operating 11 emergency shelters across the country.
• As of 12 November 2024, a total of 3,466 Internally Displaced People (IDPs) have registered in UNRWA shelters.
• No incidents affecting UNRWA facilities were reported between 7 November and 12 November 2024. No casualties among UNRWA staff have been reported during the reporting period.
• UNRWA is working with a range of partner organisations (community based, local NGOs and international NGOs) in all its emergency shelters 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.

Overall Situation

• The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports a total of 878,497 IDPs[1](52 per cent female and 48 per cent male) as of 11 November 2024. New displacements continue to be reported and recorded.
• As of 6 November, 996 households, representing 3,466 people, are registered in UNRWA emergency shelters across the country, indicating a continued slow decrease for the seventh consecutive reporting period. UNRWA is monitoring this trend, noting that some Internally Displaced People (IDPs) have returned to their homes in the camps, while others have secured alternative housing arrangements by staying with relatives or renting.

Humanitarian Access, Protection of Civilians

• On 11 November, a displacement order included the Rashidieh area in Tyre and on 12 November, a warning disseminated through UN channels alerted staff of potential risks of airstrikes for the area next to the UNRWA Burj al-Barajneh's Health Center.
• No casualties among UNRWA staff have been reported during the reporting period. The UNRWA staff security team closely monitors the situation and staff movements to ensure the safety of frontline humanitarian workers.
• No incident affecting UNRWA facilities was reported between 7 November and 12 November 2024.
• The security situation in Tyre remains very tense, with the suspension of most services. On 8 November, El Buss Clinic was opened, and 166 patients were treated. During the reporting period, no further health service missions to Tyre were approved due to the security situation. Regular primary health service provision in Tyre remains suspended. UNRWA managed to provide 5,000 litres of gasoline for the operating of generators in Burj el Chamali as well as to the Rashidiyeh water well.

Partnerships

• In all areas, UNRWA coordinates with local partners to provide additional services to displaced people. At each emergency shelter, a co-support partner has been identified. These co-support partners include Nabaa, Tadamon, Taawon, Beit Atfal El-Somoud, Najdeh, Mobader, the Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA), the Arab Resource Center for Popular Arts (ARCPA), the Palestine Red Crescent Society and the American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA). UNRWA is also coordinating closely with UN Agencies and international organisations, including IOM, UNICEF, WFP, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Save the Children International, Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI), and Action Against Hunger.

UNRWA Shelters

Programmatic & Operational Response

• 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 from Lebanon into Syria, over the next 90 days.

Health

• As of 12 November, out of 27 UNRWA health centers, 15 are operational while 12 remain closed due to the security context. Family Health Teams are rotating inside the 11 shelters.
• As of 8 November, UNRWA conducted over 11,627 consultations inside the shelters to Palestine Refugees from Lebanon (PRL), Palestine Refugees from Syria (PRS), Lebanese and others. The total number of health consultations at the remaining 15 operational health centers is 118,291, specifically for PRL and PRS.
• On 8 November, El Buss Clinic was opened, and 166 patients were treated. During the reporting period, no additional missions were approved to deliver health services in Tyre, due to the security situation. Regular primary health service provision in Tyre remains suspended.
• In the Beqaa Area, all health centers remain operational. However, Wavel Camp Clinic is operational on an emergency basis only. In Central Lebanon Area(CLA) , Shatila Health Center remains operational on a daily basis as of 7 November for primary health care services, including for laboratory services. The Musaytbeh Emergency Health Center will start providing dental care as of next week, with mobile dental units currently undergoing maintenance. On 11 November, the mobile clinic in Amqa shelter in North Lebanon Area (NLA) opened for all IDPs inside the shelters.
• Since the activation of the emergency, 90 emergency hospitalizations for the treatment of civilian war injuries were reported, including one staff member from UNRWA. No new cases have been reported since the last reporting period.
• Active surveillance systems are established in all health centers and medical facilities to identify early signs of infectious disease outbreaks. Water tanks undergo chlorination and are routinely monitored for waterborne diseases. Vaccination efforts take place daily, with UNRWA collaborating with UNICEF to provide six solar refrigerators for vaccine storage in newly set up centers.
• On 12 November, UNRWA's Health team started a vaccination campaign, in coordination with the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, inside the 11 shelters. Children below five will be vaccinated against polio and children between 9 months and 10 years for Measles, Mumphs and Rubella (MMR).

Education

• The start of the 2024/2025 academic year was postponed to 11 November due to the insecurity in the country. During the Readiness Phase (Phase I), education staff started off with an administrative week to begin the year. On 18 November, students will be provided with Social and Emotional Learning, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, recreational activities, and structured activities to ensure readiness.
• The Formal Education Phase (Phase II) is planned to start on 2 December. Classes will take place either in person or remotely - depending on the security situation and physical space available in each school and shelter. UNRWA remains dedicated to providing educational services to 38,006 students in grades 1 to 12, comprising 19,760 girls and 18,246 boys.
• With the support of 42 school counselors, UNRWA provides psychosocial support services to children, youth, and adults across and beyond all 11 shelters in Lebanon. This includes psychosocial first aid, counseling, awareness sessions on gender-based violence (GBV) and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), as well as recreational and educational activities.
• Since the onset of the armed conflict, approximately 3,500 people, including more than 1,500 children, have benefited from 2,723 psychosocial support sessions and recreational activities.
• UNRWA has distributed 1,946 sets of psychosocial support kits during the reporting period to a total of 825 individuals, including 486 children (265 girls and 221 boys).
• UNRWA's Education team is also providing remote psychosocial support to students and their families/caregivers outside emergency shelters to foster resilience, develop coping skills, and enhance wellbeing and safety. During the reporting period, 13 school counselors have conducted 860 care calls, reaching 134 adults and 166 children (75 girls and 91 boys).
• On 7 November, UNRWA, UNICEF and the sub-partners conducted a partner coordination meeting to assess the needs and gaps in North Lebanon Area (NLA) and improve collaboration and coordination with the partners. On 13 November, an Activity Mapping Workshop will take place to ensure no-one is left behind and make the most efficient use of the available resources.

Protection

• On 9 and 11 November, when displacement orders were issued by the Israeli Army, the Protection Unit encountered access constraints. It has been unable to determine the exact impact of the displacement orders on the IDPs at Rashidiyeh Camp during the reporting period.
• On 12 November, a message disseminated through UN channels warned of potential risks of airstrikes around the area next to UNRWA's Health Clinic in Burj al-Barajneh Camp and urged its evacuation.
• In North Lebanon Area(NLA), the Lebanese Armed Forces and Interior Security Forces continue to access the shelters in Nahr el Bared Camp to inquire about the number of IDPs and whether support is needed. In Saida, concerns are related to the loss of livelihood opportunities among Palestine refugees working in sectors such as construction and waste management.
• On 6 November, the Legal Aid team conducted an awareness session on the Cash for Work Programme, and on 7 November on civil documentation. On the same day, the GBV Working Group reviewed the GBV risk assessments.
• On 11 November, Humanitarian Principles sessions were provided to the Area Education Officers ahead of the Back-to-School 2024/2024 preparations.
• The psychosocial support task force, composed of UNRWA's Protection Specialists, Partnership Coordinator, Relief and Social Services, Health, and Education Psychosocial Support Focal Points, meets bi-weekly to strengthen coordination on case management and psychosocial support in Designated Emergency Shelters (DESs) .

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

• While UNRWA Water and Sanitation services are currently being maintained, UNRWA faces a risk of fuel shortage, especially in the Tyre area, where access to fuel is severely limited. Water pumping is operating at minimal levels. UNRWA is undertaking efforts to secure regular fuel deliveries to the camps in the Tyre area to enable the ongoing operation of water facilities.
• The water levels in Bedawi, NBC and the UNRWA shelters in NLA are currently adequate, with no reported shortages. However, more fuel is required to support the extended operating hours to accommodate the residents in the camps and the displaced in the shelters.
• Solid waste management activities have shown improvement across all areas in recent weeks, largely due to the identification of alternative dumping sites by the UNRWA sanitation team and effective coordination with municipalities responsible for final disposal in various regions. Shatila noted a buildup of waste resulting from the positioning of the communal collection points, owing to the municipality's inability to collect solid waste there for final disposal.
• On average, there is a ratio of 15 IDPs per toilet in the 11 UNRWA designated shelters. UNRWA's sanitation teams clean the sewer lines and manholes to avoid blockage and floodings. Some flooding already occurred two weeks ago in shelters in Saida City (Nablus and Rafidiya Schools). Unfortunately, these floodings have re-emerged over the reporting period. The issue was immediately addressed to the municipality.
• UNRWA teams are conducting maintenance and repairs across all 11 emergency shelters. Technical assessments are starting to take place by the engineering teams to prepare for additional buildings. Filters for the reverse osmosis systems in Siblin Training Center and Beit Jala Shelter are being replaced.
• Winterization efforts are underway, with preparations ongoing such as clearing rooftop areas, manholes, as well as the inspection and maintenance of drainage systems.

Food

• The kitchen at the Sibleen Training Center in Saida Area and the kitchens in Beqaa have started operating, including through support of in-kind dry food in bulk by COOPI to STC and warehouses in the North. The kitchen team is financially supported by Taawon and implemented by the Arab Resource Center for Popular Arts (ARCPA), commonly known as al-Jana, until the end of 2024. The kitchen in Nahr el Bared, which will serve all northern shelters, is ready, the recruitment of the kitchen team is currently ongoing. UNRWA is receiving support from WFP for the provision of bulk dry food for use in the kitchens.
• In addition to the Community Kitchens, UNRWA is collaborating extensively with other organisations to ensure IDPs can fulfill their nutritional requirements. The Chief Area Officers coordinate closely with local NGOs. For instance, in CLA, the Fingerprint of Change provided 60 hot meals daily for IDPs for ten days. Additional hot meals were provided by Dream of Refugee. Furthermore, the Women's Humanitarian Association supported UNRWA with 100 breakfast sandwiches daily. The Children's Kitchen supplies daily meals, snacks, and toys for up to 30 children and 15 volunteers.

ENDS-