Attachments
In Numbers
955,479 people assisted in August 2020
US$20.5 m cash-based transfers made
US$170 m six months net funding requirements (October 2020 – March 2021)
Operational Updates
• In August, WFP assisted a total of 955,479 beneficiaries through cash-based transfer modalities amounting to USD 20.5 million and through distribution of family food parcels. The people assisted were 829,495 Syrian refugees, 13,427 Palestinian refugees from Syria, 7,650 refugees of other nationalities and 144,907 vulnerable Lebanese. The increased number of Syrian refugees reached in August was made possible by exchange rate gains over the last couple months.
• Following the explosions at Beirut Port WFP provided emergency in-kind food assistance to 11,000 of the most vulnerable people affected by the explosion through the distribution of 2,226 food parcels. WFP also provided food parcels to support communal kitchens serving 3,000 hot meals a day in the blast affected areas of Beirut.
Emergency in-kind distribution has come to an end as WFP shifts to cash-based assistance for the most vulnerable blast-affected people.
• To fill an immediate gap in the wheat supply chain following the destruction of the grain silo at the Beirut Port, WFP brought in 12,500 metric tons of wheat flour which arrived in Beirut on 18 August. The wheat flour has been offloaded and will be distributed through a distribution network of millers and bakeries to support food security in Lebanon.
• WFP distributed family food parcels to 2,600 Lebanese families affected by the economic crisis and 100 Syrian families affected by COVID-19 and plans to assist up to 50,000 vulnerable families throughout Lebanon.
• WFP provided food parcels to 11,250 Lebanese and Syrian families in the second round of distributions for families whose children attend public schools that are part of WFP’s school feeding programme.
• In response to the Beirut blast, 100 participants of a WFP and Lebanese Reforestation Initiative (LRI) livelihoods project supported relief efforts at the damaged Rosaire Hospital in Beirut. Thanks to the participants, the emergency room is once again functional.
• Forestry and agriculture infrastructure projects continued work on critical activities with the minimal number of participants on site and fully observing precautionary measures. Activities are expected to resume as normal in September following the COVID-19 lockdown measures in August.