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USAID Information:
External Links:
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Assistance to Lebanon
The United States has a great deal of concern for the innocent civilian populations on both sides of the border who need humanitarian aid. On August 21, President Bush announced over $230 million in humanitarian reconstruction and security assistance to Lebanon. The aim of this assistance is to strengthen Lebanon's sovereign, democratic government, help the Lebanese people rebuild, and ensure a lasting peace.
To meet the most urgent needs, the United States has deployed a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) led by USAID to determine priorities and humanitarian needs. Since July 25, the U.S. has committed over $55 million for such high priority items as food, water, sanitation, emergency relief supplies, and shelter.
06/20/07 - Situation Report #11 (PDF - 59kb)
06/20/07 - Map (PDF - 1,018kb)
Total USG Humanitarian Assistance Committed to Lebanon: $109,345,093
Total USG Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance Pledged to Lebanon: $230,000,000
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
Since the July 2006 conflict between the Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah militias, USG-funded emergency relief
and early recovery activities have benefited more than 2 million Lebanese in more than 500 villages across 24 of
Lebanon’s 26 districts. USG agencies are working closely with the U.S. Embassy in Beirut and with USAID/Lebanon
to transition short-term humanitarian programs into longer term reconstruction and recovery activities.
CURRENT SITUATION
At the height of the emergency, the GOL’s Higher Relief Council (HRC) estimated that nearly 975,000 Lebanese fled
their homes. Since the August 14 ceasefire, most of the displaced families have returned home..
Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) Clearance
- The May 7 report from the U.N.’s Mine Action Coordination Centre, South Lebanon, indicated that between August
2006 and April 2007, UXO-related accidents injured 190 people and killed 22 Lebanese civilians. The GOL’s National
Demining Office attributes an increase in casualty figures to the resumption of agricultural activity and subsequent
exposure of previously buried munitions.
- To date, the USG has provided more than $9.6 million for UXO clearance and demining activities, as well as mine risk
awareness and victim assistance efforts.
- To date, World Rehabilitation Fund (WRF) has completed six public awareness campaigns, including the production and
distribution of mine awareness posters, flyers, billboards, calendars, and brochures reaching nearly the entire population
of southern Lebanon. WRF has also implemented protection activities, such as community meetings and puppet shows,
to educate local populations on UXO hazards. WRF continues to distribute hygiene packages and support psychosocial
activities for individuals injured by UXO. With support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID),
the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), and the U.S. Department of State, U.S.-supported UXO clearance organizations
have destroyed more than 100,000 pieces of UXO, including more than 92,000 cluster munitions and more than 400
unexploded aircraft bombs, clearing more than 5 million square meters of land in the process.
Infrastructure Rehabilitation
- The GOL is continuing to monitor the rehabilitation and reconstruction of nearly 800 schools, out of more than 860
schools that were damaged or destroyed due to the direct and indirect effects of the conflict, such as aerial bombardment
and deterioration from serving as temporary shelters for displaced families.
- Since the cessation of hostilities in August 2006, USG partners rehabilitated 350 housing units and 141 community
spaces, as well as 35 health clinics reaching nearly 340,000 beneficiaries. Implementing partners distributed nearly
23,000 shelter kits, more than 7,000 heaters and stoves, nearly 5,000 tarps, and fuel for shelter winterization for more
than 400,000 people in 20 districts. In addition, 48 USG-supplied generators supported community water systems,
schools, and health clinics.
- In Marjeyoun, Hasbeya, Bent Jbail, Nabatiye, and Tyre (Sur) districts, International Orthodox Christian Charities
(IOCC) facilitated the repair and rehabilitation of 23 schools, benefiting more than 460,000 returnee students and
community members in 64 villages. IOCC also repaired water infrastructure in 30 villages, assisting approximately
200,000 residents, and distributed emergency relief supplies to more than 13,000 individuals.
• Implementing partner Habitat for Humanity continues to provide transitional housing assistance to more than 300
families in six villages in southern Lebanon.
Emergency Relief Supplies
- In Lebanon’s Marjeyoun, Bent Jbail, and Bekaa districts, implementing partner World Vision provided more than 17,000
families with approximately 300 liters of diesel oil per family to power stoves and heat homes. World Vision also
distributed nearly 20,000 blankets to approximately 40,000 beneficiaries, waterproofed more than 650 homes, and
provided cooking stoves to approximately 7,400 people.
- In conflict-affected coastal communities, CHF International’s distribution of food items, emergency relief supplies, and
hygiene kits benefited approximately 20,000 individuals. A further 20,000 people benefited from new water reservoirs,
water piping, and electricity generators, and approximately 1,000 individuals received psychosocial assistance. To
improve the livelihoods of nearly 2,000 Lebanese, CHF oversaw the reconstruction of a local fish market and a boat
repair warehouse and the rehabilitation of nearly 250 hectares of olive orchards.
- From July 2006 to January 2007, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) provided nearly 140,000 people in southern Lebanon
with emergency relief supplies, shelter repair kits, psychosocial activities, water and sanitation facilities, and/or
livelihood assistance, such as livestock, seedlings, and small business equipment.
- Since November 2006, Agricultural Cooperative Development International/Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative
Assistance (ACDI/VOCA) has supported more than 500 herders in southern Lebanon with emergency relief supplies and
animal feed. ACDI/VOCA’s assistance, which sustains approximately 90,000 sheep and goats, ensures the livelihoods
of these herding communities.
Economy and Markets
- To assist with the overall economic recovery of the conflict affected region, American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA)
has provided more than 2,000 local residents with cash grants and supported vocational training workshops in business
management, construction, soil fertility, zataar growing and processing, food processing and safety, and product
marketing and labeling. Nearly 400 individuals have taken part in these workshops. ANERA has also implemented 34
small infrastructure projects, including repairing irrigation channels, bracing retaining walls, and renovating small
business structures.
USG ACTION
- On July 25, 2006, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman declared a humanitarian emergency in Lebanon due
to ongoing insecurity and humanitarian needs. U.S. President George W. Bush authorized $230 million in USG
humanitarian and reconstruction assistance for conflict-affected persons in Lebanon.
- From July 23 to December 10, 2006, a USG Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), based out of Beirut and led
by USAID, coordinated the USG humanitarian response to the crisis, including assessments of emergency needs and
programming emergency and early recovery assistance. During the height of the emergency, a Washington, D.C.-
based Response Management Team supported the DART.
- In FY 2006 and 2007, USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) contributed more than
$66.5 million in humanitarian assistance to Lebanon. USAID/OFDA provided funding to partners ACDI/VOCA,
ANERA, CRS, Church World Service (CWS), CHF International, International Medical Corps (IMC), IOCC, MAG,
Mercy Corps, World Vision, and WRF for the distribution of food and relief supplies, food security and agriculture,
health services, infrastructure rehabilitation, livelihood recovery activities, nutrition, protection, psychosocial support,
transitional and winterization shelter activities, security training for relief organizations, and/or water, sanitation, and
hygiene services. In addition, USAID/OFDA provided $1 million to Seacor Environmental Services (SES) to assist in
clean-up efforts associated with the mid-July oil spill. USAID’s Bureau for Asia and the Near East complemented this
funding by providing an additional $4 million.
- The USG provided more than $9.6 million for demining and UXO clearance activities in Lebanon. USAID/OFDA
provided nearly $1.2 million to MAG for demining and UXO clearance activities and $600,000 to WRF for mine risk
education and a victims’ assistance program. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Organization
Affairs provided $2 million to the U.N. Mine Action Service (UNMAS). In FY 2006, the U.S. Department of State’s
Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (State/PM/WRA) provided $420,000
to MAG and $384,000 to RONCO for the coordination of demining and UXO clearance activities, as well as $30,000
to the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) for the mapping of UXO. State/PM/WRA provided the
Engineer Regiment (ER) of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) with $510,000 for UXO clearance. Although given
before the conflict, this funding has enabled the LAF to destroy more than 66,000 UXO, including 60,000 cluster
munitions, since the conflict. As part of broader security assistance, DOD provided $5 million for humanitarian
assistance in Lebanon to the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization
(State/S/CRS), who apportioned these funds to State/PM/WRA. Of this $5 million, State/PM/WRA provided $2.8
million to MAG and $2.2 million to RONCO for UXO clearance and demining activities. The U.S. Department of
State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs also assisted the GOL with stabilization
activities.
- USAID/OFDA provided $7 million to support the U.N. Flash Appeal for Lebanon to the U.N. World Food Program
(WFP) and the U.N. Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC) for logistics and coordination; the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for water, sanitation, and hygiene activities; and the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
and OCHA’s Humanitarian Information Center (HIC) for coordination and information management. The U.S.
Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (State/PRM) provided $7.5 million to the U.N.
Flash Appeal to the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the U.N. Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) for protection, shelter, and emergency relief supplies; the U.N. Department of
Safety and Security (UNDSS) for safety and security activities; and the International Organization for Migration (IOM)
for transportation of third-country nationals. USAID/OFDA also provided nearly $200,000 to the U.N. Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) for agriculture and livelihoods projects. State/PRM also contributed more than $13.5
million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) emergency appeal for protection, food, health, and
water, sanitation, and hygiene activities.
- From July 25 to August 24, USAID/OFDA provided 3,000 tarps, 40,000 blankets, and 18 emergency health kits in
support of relief operations in Lebanon. The DART consigned these relief supplies to ICRC, the U.N. World Health
Organization (WHO), IMC, and Mercy Corps for delivery to nearly 300,000 beneficiaries in Beirut and southern
Lebanon. Total USG-donated commodities were valued at more than $590,000, including transport.
- The USG provided nearly $10 million in wheat flour, wheat, and lentil commodities. USAID’s Office of Food for
Peace provided 1,000 metric tons (MT) of P.L. 480 Title II emergency food assistance to support WFP operations.
Through the Food for Progress program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provided 25,000 MT of wheat to
the GOL.
- In addition to evacuating nearly 15,000 American citizens, the U.S. Military provided transport to Beirut for both the
DART and USAID emergency relief supplies.
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