Lebanon: Higher Relief Commission Daily Situation Report No. 25, 18 Aug 2006

Lebanon under siege http://www.lebanonundersiege.gov.lb offers up-to-date information on relief efforts and diplomatic initiatives. The site lists locations of shelter and Aid distribution, along with a tally of damage, casualties and official statements. Significantly, the site is available in three languages. This site is the official Lebanese government source of information.
1-Current situation:

As a steady stream of Lebanese return to the devastated suburbs of Beirut, Villages in the south and the Beka'a valley, immediate assistances are needed to many families, especially those who become homeless with their homes been destroyed and their belongings being lost. Restoring water system, repairing infrastructure and clearing UXO are of utmost important to ease the living conditions of those returnees. As a contingency plan, HRC is calling on all UN agencies and NGO's to assist in distributing Family tents and kitchen utensils to those who have lost their houses as well as food items and cleaning detergents to returnees. The Lebanese government and UN Agencies are undertaking assessments countrywide. Technical teams are already working in restoring the electrical and water system on the war affected areas. Meanwhile; returnees in many villages are digging graves to burry hundreds of bodies, in the city of Tyre more than 150 bodies will be buried today, 43 in Ainata and 40 in Qana.

The Cumulative figures of casualties are showing hereinafter.

For the first time in four decades, the Lebanese Army has started taking command of the war-ravaged south, as it moves across the Litani River ending a month long war. People cheered as jeeps, tanks and armored troops carriers crossed the strategic river after dawn to replace the withdrawing Israeli soldiers who had seized swathes of the border area. General Charles Shikani, addressed the soldiers saying, "with your deployment to the wounded area of the south, you bring with you an end to an era of worry over a piece of land that has suffered great violations by the Israelis' Shikani said, as the Lebanese flag was raised as a "symbol of a new age". The soldiers stood saluting the flag that they had carried with them across the Litani River.

International experts promised Lebanon immediate in clearing up a massive Mediterranean oil spill caused by Israeli bombing of a power plant, but said the scale of the environmental threat remained unknown.

Senior officials from the United Nations, the European Union, Lebanese ministry of environment and Regional states meeting in the Greek port city of Piraeus unveiled a plan to clean up oil-clogged parts of the Lebanese coastline- an operation slated to cost over 50 million Euros (64 million USD). The plan, supervised by the United Nations Environment program and the international maritime organization, prescribes immediate aerial survey by helicopter and a concerted effort to clean up to 30 coastal sites in Lebanon.

Heavy earth-moving machineries, Bulldozers and Trucks started lifting massive rubbles and debris from bombed-out residential buildings in the heart of the southern suburbs, an area which turned into one giant 20- Kilometer workshop made up of buildings and shops that are either destroyed or partially damaged. The council for developments and reconstruction estimated the total cost of infrastructure destruction in Lebanon at 3.6 Billion.

France is deploying 15 steel movable bridges into Lebanon, the French ministry of transport said; the bridges have been loaded on trucks and will be shipped from southern France to Beirut this week. The Bridges could be erected within one week time and it would carry 35 tons load. Five military technical engineers experienced in road and bridges infrastructure will be arriving soon to Beirut to assist in erecting the bridges and to carry out need assessment, the French government added. More than eighty bridges were destroyed during Israel's offensive against Lebanon.

WHO is assisting the Ministry of Public Health in finalizing a rapid health facilities assessment for south Lebanon. One hospital in Baalbek has been totally destroyed, while several others are only able to partially function as a result of Israeli strikes.

As part of a major operation to clear the Lebanese countryside of UXO, teams from the UN's Mine action Coordination center are undertaking assessment in the south; MACC has requested MAG support in clearing items to ensure safe return for people to some areas.

For the first time in 36 days, two passenger jets landed Thursday at Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport, which was repeatedly bombed during Israeli's offensive against Lebanon. In a news conference shortly after the MEA and royal Jordanian flights landed, Lebanese Public and transport minister Mohammad Safadi said ", it will take two-and- a-half months for the airport to be fully operational. Shortly after the planes landed, Israel said it will continue to restrict movement into Lebanon. Later Thursday, a plane belonging to British Airways landed in Beirut carrying humanitarian aids.

Power is expected to be restored to the city of Tyre today, while the city of saida is providing a reduced services, only one of three power station is fully operational, technicians are working to repair the remaining two power stations.

The recent escalation of the conflict poses serious threats to the mental health and psychological and social wellbeing of adults and children in Lebanon. Will increase risk of domestic violence and exploitation. UN Agencies and NGO's said.

2- Movement of Displaced Population:

Displaced Lebanese continue returning to south Lebanon, beka'a valley and Beirut's Suburb, filled with hope and excitement, keen to start rebuilding their lives.

The following shows the percentage of displaced who have left the displaced centers.

The overall estimated figures of displaced population in Lebanon are shown here bellow.

3- Food and non-food items distributed by the higher relief commission.

The daily distribution carried out by the higher relief commission of food and non-food items continued to schools and host houses sheltering displaced.

The cumulative figures of distributed aids by the higher relief commission described herein after.

4- In kind donations.

The followings In-kind donations were received by the higher relief commission.

5-Destruction/damages:

The cumulative figures of Israel destructions in Lebanon are shown hereinafter.

5- Constraints:

- Lack of food and non-food items needed to serve displaced population. The available quantities presents approximately 50% of the actual needed quantity.

- Targeting communication lines, cellular relay stations have led to disturbing all kind of communication between cities and villages.

- Estimated total losses had reached 9.4 billion USD up to date.

- Targeting factories has drastically stopped all kind of local production for food and non-food items.

- Unemployment rate has reached an approximate figure of 75%