Attachments
Introduction
In response to the ongoing escalation in Lebanon and the mass arrival of displaced people to Syria from Lebanon, UNRWA urgently seeks US$ 27.3 million for its humanitarian response over the coming 90 days. These funds are urgently needed to address the immediate needs for food, non-food items (NFIs), health services, shelter and protection for up to 10,000 individuals seeking safety in UNRWA-managed shelters in Lebanon and up to 5,000 Palestine refugees fleeing the conflict into Syria. In providing assistance, the Agency will ensure that attention is focused on serving the needs of specific vulnerable groups, including women, children, persons with disabilities and the elderly.
All Lebanon-specific interventions in the present Appeal are: (i) integrated into the Inter-Agency Flash Appeal – Lebanon; and (ii) unless explicitly specified otherwise, are in addition to those included in the 2024 UNRWA Emergency Appeal for Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. Furthermore, all Syria-specific interventions are expected to be fully integrated into the Syria Inter- Agency Flash Appeal, the coordination of which has just commenced.
The response in this Appeal can only be implemented if UNRWA also receives the necessary funding for its Programme Budget, which serves as the foundation for all Agency service provision in Lebanon and other fields of UNRWA operation.
Lebanon: context and needs
As a result of cross-border hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, 211,319 persons, including 74,000 children, have been internally displaced in Lebanon since October 2023 up to 25 September 2024, with further displacement anticipated. Some 56 percent of the total number (118,466 individuals) have been displaced during the past week alone, due to a major escalation in the hostilities taking place in Lebanon, including between forces on the ground from 1 October 2024.3 Education institutions in the country have closed, with classes suspended for 340,000 students until the situation allows for a safe return to learning.4 Due to the arrival of displaced Palestine refugees from southern Lebanon seeking shelter in safer areas,5 UNRWA activated its emergency response. By 2 October, the Agency had opened twelve emergency shelters6 , providing the displaced with ready-to-eat meals, water, mattresses, pillows and other basic necessities. Based on humanitarian principles and in support of social cohesion, UNRWA emergency shelters are open to all persons in need. As of 2 October, 4,000 individuals were registered in UNRWA-managed shelters, with numbers expected to steadily increase. Fifty per cent of those registered are Palestine refugees, 25 per cent are nationals of Lebanon and 25 per cent are Syrian refugees. This Flash Appeal outlines the budgetary needs to address the emergency needs (food, cash, shelter, NFI, health, protection, psychosocial support and water, sanitation, hygiene [WASH]) for up to 10,000 newly displaced individuals in UNRWA shelters, with due focus on vulnerable groups. As the situation continues to deteriorate, the response to the especially vulnerable Palestinian refugees from Syria (PRS)7 in Lebanon will need to be scaled up within and outside of emergency shelters. The Appeal will be revised, as necessary.
Syria: context and needs
The influx of approximately 128,000 people from Lebanon to Syria (as at 30 September), driven by escalating hostilities in Lebanon since 23 September, has significantly increased humanitarian needs in the country. The incoming population includes Lebanese nationals, returning Syrian nationals and Palestine refugees; half are children and many are vulnerable, including women, persons with disabilities and the elderly. New arrivals are placing a significant strain on host communities, including those in Homs, Hama, Latakia, Tartous, Aleppo, Damascus and Rural Damascus, where many are being sheltered by relatives. The government has established collective shelters, while humanitarian organizations are delivering immediate assistance at border crossings. UNRWA is coordinating with stakeholders, including at the inter-agency level through the Humanitarian Country Team, to address the critical needs of the displaced Palestine refugees. To this end, the Agency aims to extend multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA), NFIs and emergency shelter, health and protection services to affected families, along with psychosocial support (PSS) for all displaced Palestine refugee children.