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Assistance to Lebanon

U.S. Lebanon Partnership Fund The U.S. - Lebanon Partnership Fund is a nationwide effort to raise awareness and funds to partner with Lebanese communities to rebuild their country, providing critically needed resources to assist in the reconstruction effort in Lebanon following the recent conflict.

School Improvement Click to view photo gallery

Mudeirej Bridge Reconstruction Click to view photo gallery

U.S. Completes Oil Spill Clean Up in Lebanon Click to view photo gallery

September 12, 2006 - 25,000 Metric Tons of Wheat Donated by the American People to Government of Lebanon; Keeping "Bread On the Table" for the People of Lebanon U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman, Minister of Trade and Economy Sami Haddad, and USAID Country Director Raouf Youssef inspect a sample of the wheat.

"America is making a long-term commitment to help the people of Lebanon because we believe every person deserves to live in a free, open society that respects the rights of all. " - President Bush

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.

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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