Lebanon: Beirut Port Explosions Situation Report No. 3 (As of 10 August 2020) [EN/AR]

This report is produced by OCHA Lebanon in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the period from 7 to 10 August 2020.

HIGHLIGHTS

• At least 160 people were killed, and more than 5,000 people were injured in the Beirut Port explosions.

• A rapid assessment of 55 primary healthcare centres found that 37 per cent sustained moderate-to-serious damage. Only 47 per cent of surveyed facilities can still provide full routine health services.

• A rapid shelter assessment identified Gemmayzeh, Mar Mikhael, Ashrafiyeh and Qarantina as priority areas.

• Thousands of affected people require hot meals, food rations and other food assistance following the explosions.

• Concerns grow that damage to the Beirut Port will exacerbate food insecurity, which was already growing amid COVID-19 pandemic and prolonged socio-economic crisis.

• On 8 August, Beirut Port’s Container Terminal resumed offloading ships after being partially affected by the blasts.

• Many families require sanitation and hygiene supplies until basic services can be restored in affected neighborhoods.

• The Ministry of Health continues to report increasing COVID19 transmission rates.

• On 9 August, donors pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to assist Lebanon at a virtual international conference.

160+ Reported deaths

5,000+ People reported injured

60+ People reported missing

SITUATION OVERVIEW

At least 15 medical facilities, including three major hospitals, sustained partial or heavy structural damage. An additional 120 schools, used by 50,000 Lebanese and non-Lebanese children, sustained various levels of damage. Humanitarian partners are conducting further damage assessments, in close coordination with relevant government authorities.

On 9 August, a total of 294 new COVID-19 cases were recorded, a new record for Lebanon. The emergency in Beirut has caused many COVID-19 precautionary measures to be relaxed, raising the prospects of even higher transmission rates and a large caseload in the coming weeks.

Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams have found no indication of acute chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats in the incident area so far. Only minor chemical threats resulting from destroyed storage facilities (paint, solvents, asbestos, etc.) have been reported up to date. Further assessments are needed to understand any actual or potential secondary/cascading risks as a result of damage to any sites of concern. An oil spill has been reported at the port.

On 8 and 9 August, anti-government protesters gathered in Beirut’s Martyrs' Square, with reports of violence. One policeman was killed in the Beirut clashes on 8 August. According to the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC), 728 civilians were wounded, of which 160 were transported to hospitals for treatment. Seventy security forces personnel were also reportedly wounded.

On 9 August, at a virtual international pledging conference, co-hosted by France and the UN, donors pledged hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance to Lebanon, mostly channelled through UN agencies and NGOs. UN Deputy SecretaryGeneral Amina Mohammed and France’s President Macron called on leaders to act quickly and effectively to co-ordinate assistance.