THE HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE TO THE BEIRUT PORT EXPLOSIONS LEBANON FLASH APPEAL 2020 – END REPORT
30 April 2021
LEBANON Table of Contents
A. Summary
B. Overview: The Beirut Port Explosions - Timeline - Response Strategy - Challenges and Good Practices
C. Lebanon Flash Appeal Progress against the Strategic Objectives The Sectoral Response - Protection - Education - Food Security - Health - Shelter - Water, Sanitation and Hygiene - Logistics
Cross-cutting Issues - Cash and Voucher Assistance - Gender - Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse - Accountability to Affected Population and Community Engagement - Environment
D. Resource Allocation and Funding Overview
E. After the Lebanon Flash Appeal 2020
F. Annexes - Response dashboard - Cash response overview - Gender review of the response - Key findings Cover Photo: Violette Machaalani, at her house in Karantina that was partly damaged by the August 2020 Beirut Port Explosion. Picture by UN Women/Dar Al Mussawir A. SUMMARY
LEBANON A. SUMMARY The Beirut Port explosions occurred in the early evening of 4 August 2020 as Lebanon was already grappling with the impact of a grave socio-economic as well as sanitary crisis. Following the explosions, and while Lebanese themselves, through private individuals and the civil society in Lebanon and via the diaspora started a massive support campaign, international humanitarian assistance was immediately offered. Within less than 24 hours, experts were deployed from the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), together with a United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team, disaster management experts and other emergency teams to support with urban search and rescue (USAR) operations and initial humanitarian response. Further, the United Nations immediately released $14.1 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and Lebanon Humanitarian Fund (LHF) to support emergency operations. In order to facilitate an efficient and effective UN coordinated international response, an emergency humanitarian coordination structure was established under the leadership of the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC). It aimed to facilitate joint needs assessments and collective response strategies to enable the principled delivery of emergency assistance to the affected, building on pre-existing capacity and resources of the UN agencies and NGOs already implementing humanitarian activities in Lebanon. The UN-coordinated Lebanon Flash Appeal 2020, seeking US$354.9 million was launched on 14 August and articulated a collective response to cover the main needs of 300,000 people within the sectoral areas of protection, education, food security, health, shelter, WASH and logistics. In view of the major response efforts implemented through bilateral support to the Government of Lebanon, as well as through the Lebanese civil society, the appeal was revised downward to $196.6 million in November 2020. In the first weeks, medical and surgical supplies, along with medications, were provided to hospitals and health care centres for treatment of injuries; damages to houses and health facilities were assessed; emergency shelter kits were distributed to ensure safety and protection; plumbing repairs were undertaken; hygiene and baby kits, in addition to 03 in-kind food parcels and hot meals, were distributed; 12,500 metric tons of wheat flour were distributed to millers; 12 mobile storage units were set up at the Port to temporary augment storage capacity for humanitarian goods and cargo; protection services, and psychosocial and mental health support services were provided; and resources were allocated for debris clearance efforts. During the following months, the response continuously adapted based on the more precisely assessed needs of the affected population, gradually progressing towards the provision of cash assistance to increase households’ purchasing power to cover their food and other necessities, and medium-term interventions expected to pave the way for longer- term recovery and reconstruction. Some early recovery activities, including cash for work, support to micro, small and medium enterprises, and recovery and reconstruction work, were also conducted. Those activities were subsequently integrated into the Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Framework (3RF), developed by the World Bank Group, United Nations and European Union and formally launched in December 2020 following the second Paris aid conference co- hosted by France and the United Nations. In the immediate aftermath of the explosions, the United Nations partnered with the Lebanese Red Cross, building on its solid capacity and network of volunteers, to undertake the initial assessment of needs. The Assessment and Analysis Cell under the EOC subsequently brought together partners to agree on a common strategy to provide timely analysis in support of decision makers during the first phase of the emergency response. Throughout the response, attention of humanitarian actors was maintained on gender equality. This was possible thanks to the integration of gender expertise from the initial stages of the response in key coordination fora, the preparation of gender analysis, and the use of sex and age disaggregated data (SADD) in needs assessments, monitoring exercises, as well as in referral mechanisms. While the involvement of myriads of different actors, including private individuals, companies and charities, at times responding in unstructured ways, proved challenging for traditional humanitarian actors as well as for the overall Government-led coordination effort, the work of those first responders was undoubtedly invaluable and greatly contributed to the speed of the response. Humanitarian sectors and the Emergency Operations Cell (EOC) established at the onset of the response played a critical role in supporting a more efficient and effective coordination of the overall efforts. The systematic engagement with local and less traditional actors, including via other coordination mechanisms that had emerged organically at the neighborhood level remained complex despite the strong coordination role played A. SUMMARY
by the local NGO forum LHDF. As the Lebanese Armed Forces were given the primary operational coordination responsibility by the Government of Lebanon, Civil-Military Coordination (CMCoord) efforts, initiated at the onset of the response, were crucial to establish a working relationship with the Beirut Forward Emergency Room (FER) based on humanitarian principles and Inter- Agency Standing Committee (IASC) guidance on civil-military relations. Progress for all projects of the Flash Appeal were tracked through Sector-specific indicators in a dedicated reporting and monitoring platform, allowing for the regular publication of situation reports and analysis. This complemented the tracking of funding, inside and outside the Flash Appeal, in the OCHA managed Funding Tracking Services (FTS). While reporting of reprogrammed funds from pre-explosions operational plans, as well as systematic reporting by donors of their contributions could have been improved to maximize the comprehensiveness of the FTS platform, notably for activities outside the Flash Appeal, overall funding as of end of April is $314 million, with $165 million funded against the Flash Appeal and $149M reportedly received outside of the coordinated plan. The Lebanon Flash Appeal formally ended on 31 December 2020 but the implementation of some activities continue in 2021. Vulnerable population affected by the Beirut Port explosions continue to require assistance in 2021 as they could not fully recover from the impact of the explosions in the larger context of the ongoing political and socio-economic crisis in country, further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Moving forward, while the UN and partners aim to focus their efforts on longer-term interventions, it is expected that tailored humanitarian interventions will continue to be required for extremely vulnerable and marginalized groups.
IMPACT OF THE EXPLOSIONS Nearly 200 people killed and approximately 6,500 injured. Within a 3-kilometer radius from the Port, 73,000 apartments in 9,200 buildings damaged, affecting 219,000 people. Over 70,000 workers estimated to have lost their jobs, with direct implications for over 12,000 households. 15,000 metric tons of grain reserves stocked at the Port lost. 04 At least six hospitals and 20 clinics damaged; at least another 80 health care facilities severely or partially damaged. At least, 17 containers of WHO essential medical supplies and PPE destroyed. At least 163 public and private schools damaged, including technical and vocational education and training
Credits: Caritas B. OVERVIEW: THE BEIRUT PORT EXPLOSIONS
LEBANON B. OVERVIEW: THE BEIRUT PORT EXPLOSIONS On 4 August 2020, a large concentration of ammonium nitrate ignited in a warehouse at the Beirut Port. Two devastating explosions ensued, destroying most of the near-by facilities. The explosions punched through buildings for miles around, collapsing homes, severely damaging shops, schools, and hospitals, scattering debris, as well as destroying the country’s grain reserves stored at the Port’s silos and the Ministry of Public Health’s central warehouse, which was home to storage personal protective equipment (PPE), life-saving medicines and supplies, and vaccines. Nearly 200 people died and some 6,500 were injured, including approximately 1,000 children; nearly 73,000 apartments were damaged, affecting over 210,000 people; and billions of dollars in damage were caused. The Beirut Port has played a key role in the country’s history and economy, being the gateway for three-quarters of Lebanon’s imports – including the country’s grain reserves, destroyed in the explosions – and nearly half its exports. In the immediate aftermath, all imports and exports had to be re-directed to the Tripoli Port, about 85 kilometers of Beirut and having approximately a third the capacity. Situated at the center of the city, the Port is surrounded by some of Beirut’s most notable neighbourhoods. The dense residential areas of Gemmayzeh and Geitawi are located to the west and Mar Mikhael and Quarantina to the east. This cluster of neighbourhoods hosts many of Lebanon’s state and private services, including the electricity provider, a bus terminal, and three major hospitals that were severely affected in the explosions. Significant, humanitarian needs arose as a result of the explosions – and severe long-term consequences with wide- ranging ramifications will be felt for years to come. Immediate needs, such as access to alternative housing, health care, food security, and protection, exposed underlying structural ones, revolving around economic activity, livelihood 05 opportunities, and social security.
Beirut explosions exposure on 4 August 2020
Damage Impact Analysis
Severe Moderate Less
1 Km
3
K m Beirut Central Blast location
m
K District Medawar m m
Ain 3 K el-Mreisseh K
2 2 Minet el-Hosn Marfaa
Remeil
Saifeh Ras Beyrouth Bourj Hammoud Zoukak el-Blatt Bachoura Baouchriyeh
Achrafieh
Moussaytbeh Sinn El-Fil
Dekouaneh
Mediterranean 3 Km Sea Mazraa Deir mar Furn Roukoz Ech-Chebbak
Damage impact analysis by ARIA team scientists at NASA JPL, Caltech, and Earth Observatory of Singapore. Located in Pasadena, California, Caltech manages JPL for NASA - Map produced by OCHA TIMELINE
TIMELINE
4 AUGUST 2020 Beirut Port explosions Within the first 24 hours: USAR, UNDAC, and surge staff deployed; search and rescue operations and needs assessment start. Within the first 72 hours: the HC mobilized US$14.1 million through the Lebanon Humanitar- ian Fund and Central Emergency Response Fund. 8 AUGUST 2020 Lebanon Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) establishes the Emergency Operation Cell . 9 AUGUST 2020 1st France-UN co-hosted International Conference on Assistance and Support to Beirut and the Lebanese People takes place. 14 AUGUST 2020 The UN coordinated Flash Appeal is launched.
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12 NOVEMBER 2020 The HCT approves the extension and revision of the Flash Appeal.
2 DECEMBER 2020 2nd France-UN co-hosted International Conference on Assistance and Support to Beirut and the Lebanese People takes place.
4 DECEMBER 2020 The European Union, UN and the World Bank Group launch the Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Framework (3RF).
31 DECEMBER 2020 Flash Appeal formally ends.
Credit: UN/Pasqual Gorriz RESPONSE STRATEGY
RESPONSE STRATEGY The explosions occurred as Lebanon was in the midst of a multiple and compounding crises, including the Syria Crisis which led to the influx of around 1.5 million Syrian refugees, and an economic and financial crisis that deepened since October 2019. A political crisis emerged concurrently with an economic and financial crisis, eventually leading to increasing levels of poverty and food insecurity, while further compounding needs among the Lebanese and non- Lebanese communities alike, including the large refugee populations. Additionally, since February 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak has further strained Lebanon’s health system, which was already over-burdened and under-resourced, resulting in unequal coverage of and access to both primary and secondary health services, particularly for dedicated COVID-19 hospital beds.
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The Government of Lebanon (GoL) bore the primary responsibility of responding to the Port explosions, thus leading the coordination of the overall humanitarian efforts – with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) designated as operational lead as per the State of Emergency declared by the Government on 13 August. However, the human consequences of the explosions were such that the needs were beyond the capacity of the sole Government. International humanitarian assistance was immediately offered. Within less than 24 hours from the explosions, experts were deployed from the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), together with a United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team to support national and international urban search and rescue teams (USAR), disaster management experts, and other first responders. Additional emergency teams and surge staff were also deployed to help mount a coordinated humanitarian response. In parallel, a massive mobilization from both the Lebanese civil society and private individuals, in-country and through the diaspora, led to an influx of assistance to the affected population, including through large numbers of volunteers engaging in cleaning and rehabilitation efforts, as well as the provision of food and other emergency support. This was an extraordinary demonstration of solidarity for the Lebanese across the country and beyond. From the onset of the emergency, the focus of the UN-led response was to ensure assistance and protection reached the most in need and most vulnerable. Numerous partners with well-established programmes under the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP) were able to quickly expand and adapt their services. The Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) immediately established a specific coordination structure under her leadership to facilitate joint needs assessments and collective response strategies, enabling the principled delivery of emergency assistance. RESPONSE STRATEGY
RESIDENT COORDINATOR (RC)/ DEPUTY PRIME HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR (HC) MINISTER OFFICE
PSEA Network Access Task Force HUMANITARIAN COUNTRY Risk Communication and Community TEAM (HCT) Cash Task Force Engagement
EMERGENCY OPERATION CELL (EOC) USAR Coordination Cell Chaired by OCHA Assessment and Analysis Cell
Environmental Emergency Cell sector coordinators/ Civil-Military Coordination Cell co-coordinators, LHIF, LHDF, LRC inter-sector, operational donor representative
Protection Food Health Logistics Shelter WASH Education UNHCR/UNICEF Security WHO/AMEL WFP UNHCR/ UNICEF/ACF UNICEF/ UNFPA/Caritas WFP/ACTED UN-Habitat/ UNESCO/ NRC LHIF
The HC led the efforts of the UN-coordinated response, through the issuance of a Flash Appeal and, along with the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), held the overall responsibility for the Appeal’s implementation (14 August to 31 December 2020). At the operational level, the HC and HCT were supported by an Emergency Operation Cell (EOC), as the core coordination group comprising of, amongst others, Sector Coordinators and Co-coordinators (UN and I/NGOs) 08 managing the humanitarian response. In turn, the EOC was supported by four different operational cells, namely the USAR Coordination Cell, the Environmental Emergency Cell, the Assessment and Analysis Cell, and the Civil-Military Coordination (CMCoord) Cell. Building on pre-existing UN and NGO capacities and programmes/interventions, the UN launched a comprehensive response, articulated around three phases: from immediate humanitarian relief to early recovery, reconstruction, and eventually longer-term recovery. The UN-coordinated Flash Appeal was launched on 14 August 2020 to support the collective response to the most urgent protection and humanitarian needs of the affected population. Meanwhile, the World Bank Group, UN and European Union worked on developing a Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Framework (3RF) to provide a roadmap for addressing people’s medium and long-term needs through a combination of people- centered recovery and reforms. The 3RF, focused on the affected areas from the Beirut Port explosions, was formally launched on 4 December 2020, further to the second Paris aid conference1 co-hosted by France President Emmanuel Macron and the UN Secretary-General António Guterres held two days prior. The August 2020 Lebanon Flash Appeal, seeking at first US$354.9 million, aimed at covering the main needs of 300,000 people, within the areas of protection, education, food security, health, shelter, and WASH. The Appeal was later extended in November, and consequently revised, with an updated financial ask of US$196.6 million, and Sectoral targets and funding requirements were reviewed, including to account for the large financial and in-kind support provided outside the UN-coordinated Flash Appeal, including the re-direction of the LCRP. In the first weeks, medical and surgical supplies, along with medications, were provided to hospitals and health care centres for treatment of injuries; damages to houses and health facilities were assessed; emergency shelter kits were distributed to ensure safety and protection; plumbing repairs were undertaken; hygiene and baby kits, in ad¬dition to in-kind food parcels and hot meals, were distributed; 12,500 metric tons of wheat flour were distributed to millers; 12 mobile storage units were set up at the Port to temporary augment storage capacity for humanitarian goods and cargo; protection services, and psychosocial and mental health support services were provided; and resources were allocated for debris clearance efforts.
1 Press Release of the Paris Conference is available in the following link: https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/lebanon/news/article/press-release-conclusions-of-the-co-presidencies-france-and-united-nations Further, the first Paris aid conference (co-hosted by France and the UN) was held on 9 August: https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossiers-pays/liban/evenements/article/conference-internationale-de-soutien-et-d-appui-a-beyrouth-et-au-peuple RESPONSE STRATEGY
Humanitarian assistance mobilized in the first three weeks
09
During the following months, the response continuously adapted based on the more precisely assessed needs of the affected population, gradually progressing towards the provision of cash assistance to increase households’ purchasing power to cover their food and other necessities, and medium-term interventions expected to pave the way for longer-term recovery and reconstruction. Some early recovery activities, including cash for work, support to micro, small and medium enterprises, and recovery and reconstruction work, were also conducted. Those activities were subsequently integrated into the Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Framework (3RF), developed by the World Bank Group, United Nations and European Union and formally launched in December 2020 following the second Paris aid conference co-hosted by France and the United Nations. CHALLENGES AND GOOD PRACTICES
CHALLENGES AND GOOD PRACTICES
COORDINATING MULTIPLE ACTORS A considerable amount of assistance was unlocked in the very first days and weeks of the response, including by allocating funding and resource mobilized under the LCRP. The UN and partners provided aid and protection, including emergency cash and voucher assistance to those impacted and displaced. But the humanitarian response benefited from assistance provided through other means, including in-kind donations or personnel. Numerous donors dispatched, among other items, relief supplies, mobile medical teams, and field hospitals. A huge contribution to the response came also from the Lebanese themselves, through private individuals and the civil society, both in Lebanon and through the diaspora. All these were critical elements of the response – and significantly contributed to saving lives, at a time when rapidity and flexibility were of the essence. While the involvement of myriads of different actors, including private individuals, companies and charities, at times responding in unstructured ways, proved challenging for traditional humanitarian actors as well as for the overall Government-led coordination effort, the work of those first responders was undoubtedly invaluable and greatly contributed to the speed of the response. Humanitarian sectors and the Emergency Operations Cell (EOC) established at the onset of the response played a critical role in supporting a more efficient and effective coordination of the overall efforts. The systematic engagement with local and less traditional actors, including via other coordination mechanisms that had emerged organically at the neighborhood level remained complex despite the strong coordination role played by the local NGO forum LHDF.
COORDINATION WITH THE LEBANESE ARMED FORCES/BEIRUT FORWARD EMERGENCY ROOM2 10 The Beirut Forward Emergency Room (FER) was established by the LAF, together with the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC) and civilian consultants to “manage humanitarian and development efforts in the afflicted areas, to rebuild them and support citizens.” As such, the FER was the government interface on operational matters for the UN and humanitarian partners working in the affected areas. In this regard, the rapid deployment of surge capacity to support humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination (CMCoord) efforts was crucial to establish a working relationship with the FER, based on humanitarian principles and Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) guidance on civil-military relations. Operational coordination with the FER contributed to minimizing duplication of activities, sharing data according to standards, harmonizing referral mechanisms, clarifying reporting mechanisms, and rapidly addressing concerns raised by the UN and partners. In addition, a CMCoord Cell was stood-up, reporting to the EOC. The CMCoord Cell, composed of representatives of humanitarian agencies and sector coordinators, facilitated the sharing of information on interaction with the LAF and foreign militaries, promoted common situational awareness, disseminated context-specific guidance and developed common positions for EOC consideration – for instance on data sharing.
NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND COORDINATION WITH THE LEBANESE RED CROSS The LRC coordinated a Damage Assessment Needs Analysis (DANA) and a Multi-Sector Needs Assessment (MSNA) in the immediate aftermath of the explosions. The analysis and assessment, which began as separate qualitative and quantitative tools, was later merged into one survey assessment on affected households residing within the 3 kilometers of the explosions’ epicenter. Being regularly updated, the MSNA served as the primary, multi-partner, assessment, covering the widest range of issues. In close coordination with the LRC who had solid capacity for initial assessment, the Assessment and Analysis Cell under the EOC, brought together partners with complementary expertise and capacities in remote sensing, primary and secondary data collation, Geographic Information System (GIS), and humanitarian needs analysis to agree on a common strategy to provide timely analysis support to decision makers during the first phase of the emergency response. Reaching approximately 45,000 households, the LRC MSNA3 provided the UN and humanitarian partners with an
2 https://www.lebarmy.gov.lb/en/content/beirut-forward-emergency-room; https://beirutfer.com/ CHALLENGES AND GOOD PRACTICES
evolving picture of humanitarian needs gaps. In future, it is recommended that UN invests in and is better prepared to launch MSNA tools fit for such situations. Further recommendations are related to ensuring that clearer links to the response processes are maintained from the beginning, which would, in turn, also safeguards humanitarian principles and the “do-no-harm” approach. Specifically, the sharing of information and data could have been more timely, training for survey enumerators should have been conducted, and risk mitigation mechanisms should have been put in place. Beyond the LRC-led DANA and MSNA, numerous other assessments were conducted in the aftermath of the explosions by the UN and partners, including outside the Flash Appeal coordination. Despite the considerable burden of assessments upon affected individuals and households, the importance of a comprehensive and accurate dataset cannot be underestimated in ensuring coordinated, principled and effective reconstruction efforts going forward. In line with the standards prescribed by the IASC Gender Policy, the MSNA data was collected with disaggregation by sex and age, but failed to capture important findings, such as the percentage of females versus males who were able to access emergency health care services. Instead, the MSNA was limited to analyzing gender dynamics based on the head of the household only. Also, limited gender-based violence (GBV) risk-mitigation efforts were cited as a challenge in the MSNA data-collection process.
SEX AND AGE DISSAGREGATED DATA The Flash Appeal response to the Port explosions maintained some attention to gender equality throughout its course, with several efforts that can be highlighted as best practices for future activities in both Lebanon and other emergency settings. These include the integration of gender expertise from the initial stages of the response in key coordination fora, the availability of gender analysis and its use by key operational, humanitarian Sectors, and the use of sex and age disaggregated data (SADD) in needs assessments, monitoring exercises, as well as in referral mechanisms. For any of the humanitarian activities that will continue in 2021, as well as for monitoring, reporting, evaluation and learning purposes, it will be critical that targets, as well as the tracking of information and data, continue to use SADD – including mechanisms to be adapted under the 3RF. With reference to the observations made with regard to coordination with the LRC, for services targeting households, or other entities such as small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), it will be important to capture what proportion of households are female-headed, or what proportion of entities are 11 female-owned. During the Port explosions response, tracking real-time SADD provided valuable insights,4 including with regard to reliability of (baseline) data, thereby enabling course correction and adaptation of activities, projects and programmes in a timely manner, and ensuring all those targeted had access to aid and protection.
EXTENSION AND REVISION OF THE FLASH APPEAL In November 2020, the HC and HCT agreed to extend the implementation of the emergency activities under the Flash Appeal until 31 December 2020. Accordingly, OCHA facilitated the review processes and supported the EOC Sectors in re-assessing both targets and funding requirements as necessary, including accounting for the large support provided outside the UN-coordinated Flash Appeal, such as in-kind contributions received from foreign countries and distributed through the LAF or the Lebanese civil society, support provided through the LRC, the large assistance provided by the Lebanese diaspora, charities and individuals, and the rehabilitation efforts undertaken by the affected communities themselves, as well as re-allocation of services and flexible funds under the LCRP. On 14 January 2021, the EOC conducted a rapid lessons learned exercise of the Appeal’s extension and revision, identifying some operational recommendations, including improved guidance on reporting and financial tracking requirements at the start of the process and ensuring capacity building for partners on new tools to be used.
FUNDING For a more accurate analysis of the reality of Sector-specific funding, OCHA supported the review and allocation of funding reported in Financial Tracking Service (FTS)5 as unassigned to the relevant Sectors. Moving forward, there is a need for better incorporation of reprogrammed funds from existing funding plans, as well as stronger reporting by donors on their contributions in order to maximize the comprehensiveness of the FTS platform.
3 Data is shared with those partners that have signed a data-sharing agreement, on a request-only basis, to ensure data privacy and protection. 4 For a full overview of the monitoring data, including the gender and age breakdown of the progress made by individual Sectors under selected areas of work, please refer to the OCHA’s Flash Appeal Beirut Port Explosions Response Dashboard (available upon request). 5 https://fts.unocha.org/ C. LEBANON FLASH APPEAL
LEBANON C. LEBANON FLASH APPEAL In the immediate aftermath of the explosions, medical facilities and field hospitals treated thousands for injuries, including trauma and burns; mobile medical units were dispatched to affected communities to better reach those in need; and medicines, vaccines and supplies from the destroyed Ministry of Public Health’s central warehouse located adjacent to Quarantina Hospital, near the epicenter of the explosions, were relocated to safety. Psychological first aid was provided to children and adults, and friendly spaces were established in the most impacted neighbourhoods. Food parcels to over 8,500 affected families were distributed, with each package being enough to feed five people for one month, and thousands of hot meals were served. In addition, in order to stabilize the national supply and avoid food shortages, 12,500 metric tons of wheat flour were delivered to Beirut and nearly 92,000 beneficiaries received multi- purpose cash assistance. Humanitarian partners mobilized and distributed stocks of tents, shelter, and hygiene kits, and other non-food items, as well as trucked water where needed, including to hospitals. Streets were cleaned from debris as part of a city-wide clean-up operation. Plans were started to conduct emergency repairs of public and private schools that were damaged. Progress under all projects of the Flash Appeal was tracked through Sector-specific indicators in a dedicated database/ reporting and monitoring platform. Most of the indicators (26 out of 37) tracking the number of persons reached were disaggregated by sex and age. Further, Sectors played a critical role in establishing the regular use and analysis of SADD which served to highlight remaining gaps as the response transitions to early recovery and reconstruction under the 3RF.
12 PROGRESS AGAINST THE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES The Flash Appeal enabled the humanitarian response to the most immediate protection and life-saving needs, as well as time-critical early recovery needs arising from the Port explosions. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1: Save lives by providing essential health care, food, water, hygiene, shelter and protection to people affected by the Beirut Port explosions for three months.6 The aim is to provide direct support to hospitals and health care providers, for both treatment of injuries and mental health impact of the explosions. Essential repairs of housing to ensure safety and protection, as well as plumbing repairs will be undertaken. Distributions of hygiene and shelter kits in addition to in-kind food distributions will be carried out. Cash transfer will also be made to vulnerable families affected by the explosions. Protection services to people at risk such as psychological support for children will be provided. Cash for work as part of the debris clearance efforts.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2: Pave the way towards self-reliance by re-establishing the food supply chain and retail markets for basic food and other items, providing short-term income support, and restoring access to education. Under this strategic objective, essential repairs will start in order to restore the food supply chain at the Beirut Port and establish a bulk grain receiving facility. Repairs of hospitals, primary health care centres, schools and housing will commence, and support to the Beirut Mount Lebanon Water Establishment will be provided. Children, families and individuals who were residing within the 3 kilometers from the explosions were prioritized by the Flash Appeal, having suffered high levels of property damage and/or destruction of immediate livelihoods. Individuals and families with limited resources to cope with the effects of the damage to property and wellbeing were also assisted, including people with disabilities (both new and pre-existing), older people without support networks, female-headed
6 As mentioned above, the response was later extended to 31 December 2020. THE SECTORAL RESPONSE
LEBANON THE SECTORAL RESPONSE
FOOD SECURITY PROTECTION -- Over 49,000 people received in-kind food - Nearly 21,500 people benefitted from parcels and nearly 15,200 people received protection services. food vouchers. - Close to 11,800 people engaged in - Over 94,000 people received multi-purpose community-based child protection activities. cash assistance. - Close to 7,500 people reached through - 331 micro, small and medium-sized gender-based violence (GBV) services. enterprises were supported with either rehabilitation or financial assistance.
SHELTER - 9,405 benefitted from support with either minor repairs or rehabilitation work. EDUCATION - A one-off US$600 cash-for-shelter support - 72 schools were supported with rehabilitation. was provided to 9,640 households, while another 2,417 households received cash-for- - 1,431 teachers and students received rent support. psychosocial support 13
WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE
- Water supply connection re-established for HEALTH nearly 24,000 people in almost 1,400 build- ings. - 13 hospitals were immediately supported with trauma and surgical supplies to treat the - Nearly 4,400 tanks and 347 pumps installed; injured nearly 16,000 hygiene kits and 790 baby kits distributed. - 20 mobile medical units were launched to assist damaged communities and provide in-home care to vulnerable patients unable to travel to health facilities, including elderly LOGISTICS people. - 12 mobile storage units set up at the Port for - 33 primary health care centers and enhanced storage capacity of both food and dispensaries were supported to safely resume non-food items. services by providing not only medicines, supplies and PPE, but also more than 30 health care workers, including doctors, nurses, midwives and mental health specialists. PROTECTION
PROTECTION
Objectives • Ensure protection mainstreaming and community participation • Provide appropriate and efficient protection services
People in need People targeted Projects & Partners 152K 152K 22
Contact information Elsa Bousquet ([email protected]), Eliane Abi Sleiman ([email protected]), Erica Talentino ([email protected]), Jackline Atwi ([email protected])
Achievements Most of the protection needs, including child protection and gender-based violence (GBV), being identified relate to the pre-Beirut Port explosions situation in Lebanon, further aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Beirut Port explosions. Critical protection interventions that were rolled-out from the first days of the emergency included outreach and awareness raising to identify those in need and equip them with essential information to access services. These also encompassed psychosocial support, as well as specialized services and cash assistance for people with specific needs. Families whose relatives were killed or remained missing due to the explosions were also supported to take legal action. Those who had lost their documents or were at risk of eviction were also offered legal assistance. Child protection partners have worked through an area-based approach to better coordinate the response 14 among existing and new upcoming partners and together identify and timely respond to the cases of children in need through a common child wellbeing assessment. New and non-traditional actors have joined the response; this required sector support regarding the adoption of a unified approach, tools, and acquainting them with child protection core concepts, development of child protection policy and do no harm approach. Partners have also relied on creative approaches for outreach and service delivery, such as providing unconventional and interactive services using arts, music, and sports. GBV partners also immediately responded after the explosions with a set of interventions that included distribution of dignity kits, provision of psychological first aid and safety assessment of women and girls in displacement situations. Later, GBV partners continued to operate in the affected areas through twelve safe spaces where women and girls could access counselling and case management and receive information on other services available. Challenges The Port explosions increased vulnerabilities around economic stability: poor areas and disadvantaged communities were disproportionately hit, along with vulnerable groups, including refugees, but also migrant workers. Despite the general good level of funding against the Flash Appeal, the Protection component remained significantly underfunded (13 per cent as of 10 April) compared to the other Sectors (average of 50 per cent funded). The response was possible due to the flexibility in redirecting funding from the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan and other funding sources. Outstanding needs (Anecdotal) evidence seems to show that GBV and child protection needs have increased, as the impact of the Port explosions added to the pre-existing, multi-layered, crisis. Tensions within households are being exacerbated by the current situation, exposing women and girls, and other vulnerable and/or marginalized groups to higher risks of abuse and exploitation. Similarly, anecdotal evidence points to the fact that child protection needs have also increased for the same set of reasons. EDUCATION
Stronger emphasis on GBV and sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) mitigation will be needed as part of longer-term preparedness efforts comprising of awareness raising activities, regular updated and dissemination of the referral pathway, and early identification of GBV risks and community engagement on risk mitigation in collaboration with the Lebanon In-Country Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Network. Outstanding needs span from mental health, case management for high-risks cases of violence or exploitation of children, rehabilitation for people with disabilities, emergency cash for vulnerable groups, including the elderly and LGBTIQ+ individuals, as well as legal assistance.
Indicators # People reached through GBV services: 7,443 # People benefitting from counselling, legal assistance, and legal representation: 5,255 # People engaged in Community Based Child Protection activities: 11,719 # People provided with specialized Mental Health Psychosocial Support and Focused Non-specialised Psychosocial Support: 5,644
EDUCATION
Objectives • Support rehabilitation of affected Educational Institutions • Increase access to quality formal and nonformal learning opportunities for affected children • Psychosocial support to teachers and students
15 People in need People targeted Projects & Partners 58K 58K 18
Contact information Hala El Helou ([email protected]), Annaliza Laylo ([email protected])
Achievements The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) took the lead in ensuring that a quick and adequate response was done to rehabilitate affected public and private schools, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutes and affected university campuses. Accordingly, the Education Sector coordinated rehabilitation funding and response efforts to increase the capacity for accommodating children and youth from the affected areas to attend basic and post-basic education schools in safe learning spaces. Education partners also complemented the efforts of child protection partners with psychosocial support, and social and emotional learning to affected students and learners. Challenges Due to the limited clarity on needs when the Flash Appeal was issued, the over-reliance on estimations, and the fact that education was not considered a priority in the early stages of the response, funding for the Sector was initially scarce. The impact of the Port explosions went however beyond the structural damages to the affected schools: the increased risk of school-dropouts, the increased vulnerability of marginalized and/or children with special needs, and the post-traumatic consequences of the explosions were all factors having an impact on the continuity of quality education. Also, COVID-19 containments measures drastically affected education systems, which were already burdened by the economic crisis. There is anecdotal evidence that COVID-19 increased the prevalence of out-of-school children, many of whom do not have remote-learning modalities. Additionally, a considerable number of affected education institutions also fell beyond the 3-kilometer radius identified by the appeal response, which made that a large amount of funding was reported outside the appeal. FOOD SECURITY
Outstanding needs The COVID-19 containment measures put in place challenged the rehabilitation timeline agreed upon between the MEHE and partners. Rehabilitation works continued after the end of Flash Appeal in most damaged schools and educational institutions. While rehabilitation works have focused on repairing damages incurred from the explosions, many public-school buildings had weak infrastructure and still require improving their overall environments to make them more conducive to learning. Moreover, in order to ensure the continuity of distance learning modality in place to minimize the spread of the COVID-19, further efforts are needed including providing psychosocial support, social and emotional learning, and devices and connectivity bundles. Beyond the immediate and direct humanitarian needs arising from the Beirut Port explosions, the socio- economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic have taken a heavy toll on education in Lebanon, leaving a whole generation at risk of yet another year of learning loss. Concerns continue to grow on equity in access to education with the increasing barriers, as well as on the quality of education. This is further complicated by the economic situation in the country which could potentially lead in the next few months to a complete stop of education institutions. With the economic crisis, many households are not able to purchase devices and ensure the needed digital infrastructure for learning. Inclusion of children with disabilities is also a large issue as they are mostly excluded from the remote learning plans. Finally, there is a major concern on the lack of teacher and distance learning curriculum readiness.
Indicators # Students who received psychosocial support services and social and emotional learning support: 1,419 # Teachers who received psychosocial support services: 12 # Public schools supported with replacement of damaged equipment and furniture: 5 # Rehabilitated educational institutions: 72
16 FOOD SECURITY
Objectives • Enhance Food Security through immediate life-saving food and nutrition security assistance • Enhance Food Security through livelihoods assistance and support to light port infrastructure rehabilitation
People in need People targeted Projects & Partners 1M 300K 22
Contact information: Carla Degregorio ([email protected]), Joseph Nakhle ([email protected])
Achievements The devastating explosions in the Port of Beirut greatly damaged infrastructure, residences and livelihoods, exacerbated the already grim economic outlook and put further strain on the ability of people to meet their food needs. In the initial weeks following the explosions, the Sector distributed 12,500 metric tons of wheat flour to millers and 12 mobile storage units (MSUs) were set up at the port to temporary augment storage capacity with for humanitarian goods and cargo. With people left with little income, food security partners immediately delivered life-saving food assistance including hot meals and in kind food parcels, set up community kitchens; a few weeks later in the response, and multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) was introduced for households’ most urgent basic needs, increasing their purchasing power to cover food and other necessities. Standard operating procedures on infant and young child feeding (IYCF) in emergencies were developed to guide organizations that received untargeted and unsolicited breast milk substitutes (BMS) donations. HEALTH
The explosions severely damaged businesses physical structures, inventory and equipment in the food supply chain and retail sectors, and exacerbated the economic contraction already in place, especially for smaller enterprises. Partners therefore stepped up to support MSMEs through direct support or cash assistance, to address priority needs and ensure reconstruction and resumption of business operations. Challenges Keeping track of the wide number of different organizations, mostly operating outside the Flash Appeal, was challenging in the immediate aftermath of the explosions. Although the Sector was overall well- funded, lack of funding for some partners under the Flash Appeal had an impact on the sector interventions planned for the Port infrastructure rehabilitation, early recovery of livelihoods and nutrition interventions. In addition, in the absence of legal repercussions for violating Law 47/2008, it was challenging to stop unsolicited BMS donations. Outstanding needs As access to food remained hampered by increasing food prices, rampant devaluation of local currency, and the loss of income and livelihoods opportunities, the Food Security Sector response continues in a number of areas, namely with regard to food parcels distribution, MPCA and support to MSMEs. Food access and availability continue to be a priority need for vulnerable populations, as the economic crisis continues unabated. Cash for work activities related to food and retail sectors were not funded under the Flash Appeal priorities for early recovery and it remains needed for short-term employment opportunities, including supporting MSMEs. With regard to nutrition, anecdotal evidence points to an increase in malnutrition in turn suggesting that targeted programming to prevent and treat malnutrition should be prioritized.
Indicators # Beneficiaries receiving in-kind food parcels (FULL): 49,107 17 # Beneficiaries receiving multipurpose cash assistance: 94,021 # MSMEs supported with rehabilitation or receiving financial assistance (stores, shops, etc.): 331 # Metric tons of food commodities (by type) offloaded: 12,500 # Mothers/caregivers receiving at least one counselling session by a lactation specialist: 32,708
HEALTH
Objectives • Support reconstruction of the Central Drug Warehouse and rehabilitation of damaged health facilities to enable and maintain functionality and service delivery • Enhance access to quality essential and critical health services including for emergency response by procuring urgent lifesaving trauma kits and essential medications • Strengthen infection prevention and control measures to prevent sharp increase in COVID cases • Assess impact of environmental hazards on public health
People in need People targeted Projects & Partners 1M 300K 19
Contact information: Christina Bethke ([email protected]), Maher al-Tawil ([email protected]) HEALTH
Achievements Despite heavy structural damage to six hospitals and 20 primary health care facilities within the radius of the explosions, health partners acted rapidly to restore services and increase access to life-saving and life-sustaining care, particularly for vulnerable populations such as women and girls, people with disability and people in need of mental health and psychosocial support. Thirteen hospitals were immediately supported with trauma and surgical supplies to treat the injured, while twenty mobile medical units were launched to assist damaged communities and provide in-home care to vulnerable patients unable to travel to health facilities, including elderly people. Health partners also supported 31 primary health care centers and dispensaries to safely resume services by providing not only medicines, supplies and PPE, but also more than 30 health care workers, including doctors, nurses, midwives and mental health specialists. Finally, after the devastating loss of the Ministry of Health’s central warehouse depot, 1.75 million doses of vaccines and 98 per cent of the medications under the MoPH essential drugs list were safely relocated while health partners provided critical PPE to 29 hospitals to make up for supplies lost in the explosions. Challenges The public health system had already been facing numerous challenges prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. The increase in COVID-19 cases in the aftermath of the explosions further strained the health system and required partners to take extra-precautionary measures when providing care to the affected populations, thus adding to the overall stress and fatigue of responders and survivors alike. Damage to property and livelihoods, together with the loss of health care facilities as a result of the explosions, negatively impacted health service. Further deterioration of the overall situation in Lebanon in 2021 will inevitably limit the availability of, and accessibility to, life-saving health services, specifically for those vulnerable and/or marginalized groups with limited resources. Outstanding needs As critical needs remain unaddressed, the UN and partners need to continue providing outreach health 18 services, primary health care support, mental health and psychosocial support services, and providing medical supplies, while completing infrastructure rehabilitation. Overall, health partners have identified the following critical health needs: (i) expansion of community- based activities, as well as home-based care service provision, including hygiene and care supplies for the elderly and those home-bound and bed-ridden; (ii) strengthened referral systems between different levels of the health care system ); (iii) provision of emergency-response equipment, particularly for COVID and non-COVID intensive care; (iv) ensuring medications and supplies, particularly with regard to acute and chronic medications, as well as PPE; (v) enhancing mental health and psychosocial support services and targeting stigma and reluctance to access services among the population; (vi) support for hospitalization fees as well as for physical rehabilitation, physiotherapy, and diagnostic services; and (vii) monitoring outbreaks as well as short term impact of the explosions on the exposed population.
Indicators # Affected hospitals supported with restoration of services, including in-patient care, and essential medical staff and supplies, including PPE: 29 # Affected primary healthcare centers (PHCs) supported with restoration of services, rehabilitation of structures and equipment, as well as essential medical staff, including PPE: 33 # Out-patient consultations provided: Total 23,976 - PHC/Dispensary/SDC: 18,909 - MMU/Outreach: 4,665 - Other: 402 # Ante-Natal Care visits provided: 2,133 SHELTER
SHELTER
Objectives • Respond to the immediate shelter needs of the most vulnerable households • Contribute to longer term repair or rehabilitation and occupancy of damaged buildings • Support multi-sectoral approaches to rehabilitate affected areas
People in need People targeted Projects & Partners 291K 171K 25
Contact information: Bobbie Francis Baker ([email protected]), Carolina Mansur ([email protected]), Nicholas Winn ([email protected])
Achievements An immediate shelter response was provided through mobilization of assessment and provision of weatherproofing kits from contingency stocks which assisted approximately 7,500 households. This was commenced within days of the explosions and completed within the first eight weeks of the response. The use of weatherproofing kits as emergency assistance was maintained throughout the Flash Appeal implementation period and enabled protection from the elements and restoration of privacy/dignity and was further extended to an additional 500 households during the winter. Sectorial guidance was finalized in September 2020, enabling more substantial assistance in the form of cash for rent, cash for shelter, and repair/rehabilitation. Cash for shelter and repairs commenced in August, followed by rehabilitation in September, and cash for rent in October 2020. As of the end of 19 the Flash Appeal, some 10,095 families had received shelter assistance in the form of cash payments, whilst 4,797 residential units benefitted from either repair or rehabilitation works. Eligibility of households for assistance was determined through consideration of damage level, socio-economic status, and with priority given to families with specific vulnerabilities such as female or elderly-headed households and people with specific needs. Challenges The reconstruction work took time due to requirements relating to technical assessments and tendering, affecting the pace of the rehabilitation work specifically. Different building typologies and high-urban density added to the complexity and pace of the response. In addition to structural damage to numerous buildings, the Port explosions damaged or destroyed heritage buildings, adding another layer of difficulty. Further, many of the heritage buildings and low-income dwellings were in poor conditions before the explosions. Poor pre-explosion conditions did in some cases require partners to redefine their approaches enabling the inclusion of elements not directly damaged by the explosion but requiring inclusion if partners were to achieve minimum defined sector standards. Limits on securing contractors in an uncertain market, the availability of good construction materials and price fluctuation also delayed the start of the shelter response. Relatedly, late funding pledges delayed the engagement of contractors and procurement materials leading to delays in field-level implementation. The shelter sector, in the initial weeks of the response, completed the development of a geo-split at neighbourhood zonal levels to ensure clear areas of implementation for partners operating under the Flash Appeal. However, the gradual increase of actors intervening outside the Appeal was a further complicating factor, requiring continued advocacy for engagement in coordination structures. Engagement on tenancy rights required an extensive amount of advocacy work, both public and private. As of the formal end of the Flash Appeal, it is reported that some households have not been yet assisted due to Housing, Land and Property (HLP) constraints and issues. In addition, some families had rejected assistance due to fears that they would become ineligible to benefit from the Government’ cash assistance programme. Despite new legislation aiming to protect people against evictions and sale under duress, tenants and landlords are overall unaware of their rights and obligations. WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE
Outstanding needs Significant needs remain for both rent and debt-relief assistance, in addition to the continued need for rehabilitation of residential units, common areas, community projects, and small businesses. While works remain ongoing post end of FA period, an estimated 8,200 residential properties remained in need of repair/rehabilitation. Further, there is a significant need to improve tenure security, raise legal awareness and provide free legal assistance. For future assistance, it will be important to consider that the complexity of the recovery phase in urban areas demands localized, collaborative and inclusive approaches to adequately address existing and emerging vulnerabilities, while ensuring a sustainable and durable regeneration of affected neighbourhoods, their social fabric and community infrastructure and services and as such Area-Based Approaches (ABAs).
Indicators # Individuals assisted in maintaining safe and livable residential units through emergency-weatherproof- ing assistance (shelter kits): 24,585 # Households (HHs) supported with cash-for-shelter: 9,640 # Households (HHs) supported with cash-for-rent: 2,417 Combined: # residential units benefitting from minor repair (level 1, light damage) and # residential units benefitting from rehabilitation (level 2, moderate damage): 3,363
WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE
Objectives • Support Beirut and Mount Lebanon Water Establishment (BMLWE) in rehabilitation of WaSH infra- structure and maintain of service 20 • Provide safe and accessible emergency water and sanitation services • Promote and support good hygiene practices
People in need People targeted Projects & Partners 300K 75K 10
Contact information: Olivier Thonet ([email protected]), Ibrahim Mustafa ([email protected])
Achievements Critical assessments of areas closest to the Port of Beirut were prioritized in the aftermath of the explosions. Partners then focused on assessing buildings that were deemed less critical in terms of support, or those that were farther away from the explosions’ epicenter. Through the Flash Appeal revision, activities were re-prioritized as follows: (i) hospital support: support was completed and needs were covered; (ii) infrastructure level: the assessment for the water public network was completed and urgent leakages were repaired; (iii) building level: pump repairs and tank replacements were done; and (iv) household level: all cash-for-wash rehabilitation (approximately US$4 million) were moved under the Shelter Sector. Directly affected buildings were all connected again to the water networks, and damaged water tanks and water pumps were replaced to ensure access to water at both building and household levels. Challenges The explosions compounded the fragility of the water and sanitation infrastructure in the greater Beirut area, and many building-based tanks and drainage pipes were damaged or destroyed. Despite the fact that the explosions revealed the fragile water system, systems were already outdated and dysfunctional. Also, focusing on the response and the support to those people and households directly impacted by the explosions have created social and community tensions. LOGISTICS
Outstanding needs Beyond the immediate and most urgent needs identified by the Flash Appeal, the WASH Sector considers that the impact of the socio-economic crisis on both vulnerable Lebanese and non-Lebanese alongside the capacity of public institutions to maintain the existing WASH services are not fully considered under the LCRP framework. The poor state of the water and wastewater system in the greater Beirut area was brought to the attention of both the local and national authorities and donor community. In 2021, the 3RF will be covering the most critical interventions in terms of infrastructural rehabilitation/replacement, but further assessments should be carried out as planed to identify how to best continue supporting the authorities in the future.
Indicators # Population benefitting from re-established water supply connections: 23,780 # Tanks distributed: 4,383 # Pumps installed: 347 # Hygiene and baby kits distributed: 15,892
LOGISTICS
Objectives • Enhanced Logistical Coordination • Enhanced Logistics Information Management • Enhanced Logistics Common Services
21 People in need People targeted Projects & Partners The humanitarian The humanitarian community community 1
Contact information: Cyril Martin ([email protected])
Achievements With the Port of Beirut mostly inoperable in the immediate aftermath of the explosions and for about a month afterwards, logistic networks were swiftly adjusted to ensure sustained operations pending repairs, debris removal, and safety clearances. Humanitarian assistance was re-directed through the Port of Tripoli. As Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport remained operational, several cargo flights arrived, inter alia, with logistics equipment for the Port of Beirut. The Logistics Sector conducted several assessments, including warehouse storage capacity. A total of 12 mobile storage units were set up for humanitarian goods, including food and non-food item storage. As needs for common support services were not identified, the Logistics Sector instead facilitated imports customs procedures, and coordination and information management. Challenges Initially, timely and consistent information on logistics services and available infrastructures on the market was identified as a gap by partners, specifically with regard to road transport, storage services and usable assets. Also, gaps were identified with regard to updated logistics information on supply chain operations, including administrative procedures and the status of entry points into the country. Customs procedures set by the GoL required a substantial amount of negotiations both on the Sector’s end and that of OCHA and the Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC). Outstanding needs As logistics needs were no longer present, the Logistics Sector was de-activated, further to an HCT decision as of 12 November 2020. CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES
CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES CASH AND VOUCHER ASSISTANCE As crises become more complex and protracted, humanitarians are constantly improving and adapting their response. Processes that enable this include, delivering aid through cash instead of goods. Cash programming is one of the most cost-effective modalities to address humanitarian needs. During the response to the Port explosions, cash was used effectively and efficiently. As of December 2020, the total forecasted volume of cash transfers across all interventions (inside and outside the Flash Appeal) amounted to close to US$91 million, helping to meet basic needs, support local markets, and expand social assistance. As of end of March, the amount reported by partners implementing Flash Appeal projects was over US$30.5 million. In the response to the Port explosions, the UN and partners involved in cash and voucher assistance (CVA) made impressive efforts to understand challenges, risks – but also opportunities – in using this assistance method. In this regard, household economies and markets have been closely monitored, allowing cash actors to adjust programming as best needed. As many partners under the Sectors of Protection, Food Security and Shelter started planning the implementation of cash transfer programmes in response to the Port explosions, the need for cash coordination was voiced as soon as the Flash Appeal had been launched as a coordinated cash response was pointed under the first strategic objective of the Flash Appeal. To that effect, an temporary Cash Task Force was created, facilitated by LOUISE Coordinator, as a thematic and cross-sectoral working group under the HCT to support the emergency structure coordination and operational structure and, specifically, the EOC Sectors in the coordination of their interventions, looking at complementarity and ensuring coherence. In this regard, a mapping of all intended emergency cash activities, under the different Sectors, was done to coordinate, harmonize, and align emergency cash assistance programmes across the board. The mapping focused on (i) needs, (ii) targeting and eligibility criteria, and (iii) transfer-value harmonization within sectors. Further, guidance on cash assistance and disbursement currency was also issued, in adherence with humanitarian principles and applying the “do-no-harm” approach and conflict sensitivity.7
22 CVA, the primary modality of providing basic assistance since 2016 under the LCRP, has already offered an efficient and flexible modality, putting decision-making power with the people who receive it. Known to be the preferred option for beneficiaries to prioritize their own needs, the Port explosions response, but also the COVID-19 one, followed this approach to provide assistance to meet basic needs, supplement household incomes, and protect livelihoods, while supporting local markets and reinvigorating local economies (to the extent possible given the situation in Lebanon), while providing options for the delivery of remote assistance. At the end of October 2020, a de-duplication taskforce was created with the objective of developing a de-duplication and assistance coordination system across different sectors and activities. The key objectives of the deduplication system were (1) to ensure that each person/group is not registered more than once with the same organization, and unintentionally receiving assistance multiple times for the same purposes, and (2) to coordinate collective assistance for members real-time visibility on who is assisting whom with what. Assistance coordination aimed to harmonize and optimize the overall holistic response level for more equitable and impactful outcomes. WFP offered deduplication identified generation, based on various available registration data, as a service to all organizations that took part in the system, using blockchain technology. This de-duplication system has the potential to be expanded for use in other interventions, in particular the ones assisting the Lebanese population. GENDER8 The Beirut Port explosions occurred against a backdrop of a protracted socio-economic crisis coupled with the COVID-19 outbreak. Pre-existing needs were compounded, and structural inequalities, including gender, were aggravated. Some assessments conducted in the aftermath of the explosions showed that women with vulnerabilities were a sizable portion of those affected, with 51 per cent of those interviewed identifying as female-headed households and 8 per cent as elderly women living alone.9 The intersection of gender with nationality, migrant and refugee status, gender identity, sexual orientation and/or disability, tends to exacerbate vulnerability. Therefore, efforts to ensure gender sensitive planning and implementation have been critical in the response to the Port explosions. “Gender and Inclusion Tip Sheets”10 were developed for each Sector as a tool to promote gender-sensitive planning and implementation; inputs to the Assessment and Analysis
8 For more resources on conducting a gender-responsive needs assessment, please refer to the IASC Gender Handbook, as well as additional guidelines from the IASC, UN Women, and CARE. 9 UN Women, CARE, UN ESCWA, ABAAD, UNFPA, Rapid Gender Analysis of the August 2020 Beirut Port Explosion: An Intersectional Examination (October 2020). 10 https://arabstates.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2020/09/gender-and-inclusion-tip-sheets-in-lebanon CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES
Cell brought greater attention to gender in both the needs assessment and analysis stages; and support was provided during the monitoring and reporting on the Flash Appeal cycle, thus supporting OCHA in ensuring their publications included gender considerations. However, areas for improvement remain, specifically with regard to translating the commitments to Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse into action, establishing gender-responsive Accountability to Affected Populations and Community Engagement mechanisms, as well as in financing and supporting the rich network of women’s rights organizations and women-led groups in Lebanon. Given the likelihood of humanitarian needs persisting over time – including beyond Beirut and the areas affected by the explosions – the establishment of streamlined gender in humanitarian action coordination spaces and capacity is a necessary next step moving forward with the planning for 2021 and beyond. Overall, more work is needed to address gender inequality, and gender-based needs and barriers to accessing essential services across Sectors. It is particularly important, for example, to strengthen greater coordination, mainstreaming, and joint accountability for including ways to prevent, mitigate and respond to GBV. PROTECTION FROM SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND ABUSE Under the auspices of the RC/HC, the Lebanon In-Country Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Network, which has been active since 2015 and with a dedicated PSEA Coordinator over the period of January 2020 through January 2021, was built on for this response. In May 2020, the HCT endorsed the country’s PSEA Strategy and subsequently developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Between November and December 2020, an Information Sharing Protocol (ISP) was also developed, setting out guiding principles with regards to procedures for reporting incidents of SEA cases, and sharing anonymized statistical data on reported SEA cases. The ISP intends, inter alia, to facilitate good practices on information sharing, transparency, and responsible data handling. The development and implementation of these two key policy documents had only been initiated when the humanitarian response to the Port explosions began. Consisting of PSEA Focal Points from each member, the PSEA Network met on a weekly basis following the explosions to ensure inclusion of PSEA priorities in the humanitarian response by both developing tools and guidance for Sectors and partners engaged in the UN-coordinated response. 23 While PSEA was highlighted in the Flash Appeal as a priority, only 20 among the revised 103 projects (19 per cent) under the Appeal did refer to PSEA in their projects’ (re-)submission.11 Additional projects relating to PSEA were however approved through the LHF prior to the explosions that provided resources for awareness-raising and the establishment of an inter-agency hotline and complaint and feedback mechanism (CFM). ABAAD, a women’s led organization, was one of the national NGOs funded by the LHF (together with a complementary project by CARE) and through their project: PSEA IEC materials were widely disseminated to actors involved in the Beirut Port explosions response; half-day online training sessions introducing PSEA basic principles were rolled out, reaching more than 400 frontline workers and volunteers; an Inter-Agency CFM hosted by ABAAD was established and promoted for use by actors across the response; and a SEA risk assessment tool for sectors was developed and widely shared among sectors. ACCOUNTABILITY TO AFFECTED POPULATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Principled and effective aid and protection assistance should place communities at the centre. Accountability to Affected People (AAP) is the active commitment of humanitarians to ensure communities themselves have the power and influence to determine, and act on, their own priorities not only for response, but also for preparedness, recovery and reconstruction. In the context of the Port explosions, there was no system-wide AAP forum functioning. To fill this gap, the Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Task Force, set up in March 2020 as part of the COVID-19 response, was suggested to be expanded to cover AAP and Community Engagement (CE) developing a concept for inter-agency complaints and feedback mechanism currently being moving forward . At the same time, the Danish Refugee Council’s (DRC) Referral Information Management System (RIMS) created in Lebanon in 2017 provides a common platform for service providers to manage, track, and respond to referrals, providing regular qualitative and quantitative analyses. This is one of the systems existing in the country to facilitate case management, referrals of cases and/or monitoring of referrals with the LCRP Inter-Agency referrals system, the GBV Information Management System, the Child Protection Information Management System and Refugee Assistance Information System (RAIS). RIMS, like other referrals systems, is essential in connecting those in need with those providing aid and protection services, while prioritizing efficient and accountable referrals avoiding gaps,
11 Based on an analysis of projects uploaded in the HPC (under the Lebanon Flash Appeal) as of 4 January 2021. CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES
or duplication, in services. With regard to Beirut, information and data captured by RIMS serve as additional information source on needs that persist among those who are economically vulnerable and/or affected by the explosions. While not meant to be a representative sample12 of the population in the Beirut and Mount Lebanon region, it is worth highlighting that between July and October 2020, referrals on RIMS increased by 135 per cent due to: (i) new partners joining RIMS, (ii) an increase in usage of RIMS by existing partners, and (iii) high needs from the multi-layered crises in country. Overall, there remains a need to continue providing support so that future actions and interventions remain informed by the communities so to continue strengthening efficient and effective complaint-and-feedback mechanisms and tailored responses. The PSEA network is rolling out a study of community perceptions and reporting channels looking at stablishing an inter-agency CFM mechanism that will support strengthening the humanitarian community accountability to communities. ENVIRONMENT The Port explosions released toxins and gases in the air that could have contained asbestos, toxic dust, and/or other hazardous particles. USAR teams however found no indication of acute chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats in the incident area. While toxins and gases dissipated a few weeks after the explosions, worries persisted regarding risks posed by particulate air pollution, specifically metal particles and/or powdered glass due to the significant amount of debris. Accordingly, WHO Lebanon and the WHO’s Regional Centre for Environmental Health Action provided technical support to understand possible environmental risk factors, including exploring the possibility of establishing air quality monitoring hubs. WHO also partnered with the American University of Beirut to issue public guidance on post- explosions management, avoiding possible exposure to toxins. In addition, the EOC, through the Environment Emergency Cell, supported several rapid environmental assessments to understand any actual or potential secondary risks as a result of damage to any of the sites inside the Port. Assessments’ findings fed into a comprehensive disaster waste management strategy and plan, including special considerations for hazardous waste. The Environment Emergency Cell also issued complementary guidance for, and 24 trained, those volunteers and NGOs supporting debris clearance to ensure adequate personal protective measures be in place and risks be known during clean-up operations. Under the Health Sector, assessing the impact of environmental hazards on public health is an essential workstream that remains ongoing despite the Flash Appeal having ended in December 2020.
Credits: ABAAD
12 As of December 2020, twenty-two organizations are using the RIMS platform in Beirut and Mount Lebanon. D. RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND FUNDING OVERVIEW
LEBANON D. RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND FUNDING OVERVIEW The UN-coordinated Lebanon Flash Appeal, targeting 300,000 people out of one million estimated to be in need, was launched on 14 August and ran through 31 December 2020 to support a collective response to the most urgent protection and humanitarian needs of those affected by the Beirut Port explosions. In November 2020, the Flash Appeal was reviewed to take stock of progress made, and account for, the work undertaken by actors working outside the Flash Appeal, as well as the existence of other frameworks, most notably the 3RF. Following the revision, the updated financial requirement for the Flash Appeal was revised to US$196.6 million – a downward revision of US$158.3 million from when the Appeal was launched in August.
As of 28 April
85%
Flash Appeal $196.6M $167M percentage (US$) total Flash (US$) received Flash Appeal Appeal requirement inside Flash Appeal request funded sector required received
1,000,000 300,000 119 Total people Total people $354.9M Number of Protection $23.9M 14% in need (PiN) targeted (PT) (US$) required projects 25 Education $18.5M 79%
Revised Flash Appeal Food Security $52.6M 98%
Health $33.4M 47%
1,000,000 300,000 103 Total people Total people $196.6M Number of Shelter $65.4M 72% in need (PiN) targeted (PT) (US$) required projects
WASH $2.8M 41%
Multi-sector $5.8M Unspecified $28.1M
As of 28 April, the revised Flash Appeal is slightly over 85 per cent funded (US$167.1 million) – out of an updated financial ask of US$196.6 million for 103 projects (a reduction on the 119 projects submitted/approved in August when the Appeal was launched). As per data from the OCHA-managed Financial Tracking System (FTS), over 56 organizations13 (including UN agencies, INGOs and national NGOs) received funding for these projects under the Lebanon Flash Appeal 2020. Approximately US$147 million went directly to UNAFPs – for the response under the areas of Protection, Education, Food Security, Health, Shelter, and WASH. Funding towards those Flash Appeal projects continues to be tracked in the FTS, while contributions outside the Flash Appeal are also recorded in the FTS and currently stand at approximately US$149.4 million.
13 This number is likely higher as some organizations were grouped together as sufficient details were not submitted to FTS. D. RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND FUNDING OVERVIEW
$8.1 million $6 million Total Allocations
88,000 154,000 People Targeted
8 3
NNGO 3 INGO 5 Partners
Sectors Health Protection Food Security Health Shelter Logistics
WASH Coordination
The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund (LHF) continued to serve as critical 26 funding instruments that provided rapid and flexible funding when needed the most, enabling timely, effective, and principled humanitarian action, while strengthening leadership, coordination and coherence in emergency responses. In the response to the explosions, the LHF encouraged greater participation of national and local humanitarian organizations in decision-making and frontline response, including measures to promote access to direct funding, as well as through sub-granting programmes, partnerships and consortiums. Within three days from the explosions, US$14.5 million was mobilised through the OCHA-managed funds to provide rapid support and much-needed assistance to families and communities by existing programmes: CERF allocated $6 million in support of critical life-saving response activities under the Health, Shelter and Logistics sectors, and the LHF allocated $8.5 million to respond to critical life-saving needs under the Health, Protection, Food Security and WASH Sectors. The Gender and Age Marker was not applied in the Flash Appeal, due to the rapid nature of the exercise and given the tight timeframe for the launch (10 days after the explosions). In any case, the LHF supported both a focus on NGO funding and localization and the integration of cross-cutting issues and priorities into the response. In the future, and as a first step, it is recommended that the Gender and Age Marker be applied for all LHF projects and also be utilized for the selection and prioritization of projects under the 3RF. E. AFTER THE LEBANON FLASH APPEAL 2020
LEBANON E. AFTER THE LEBANON FLASH APPEAL 2020 The need for shelter repairs, food and cash assistance, and specific medications were the top priorities reported by those affected by the explosions, according to what was reported by the sectors. In addition, anecdotal evidence from Food Security partners over time pointed to an increasing number of people in need of food assistance in areas outside the immediate perimeter of the explosions (3 kilometers), highlighting the pre-existing needs beyond the 300,000 people targeted in the UN-coordinated Flash Appeal, linked to the economic and financial crisis. Further, significant impact was observed on mental health wellbeing of wider layers of the community including children and their caregivers. The Lebanon Flash Appeal ended on 31 December 2020, while the implementation of some of the activities previously funded under the Appeal continue into 2021. Namely, the Shelter Sector response remains key, with regard to both minor repairs and rehabilitation work, as well as the rehabilitation of schools under the Education Sector. Additionally, many health partners that launched an immediate response model of essential health services in primary health care centers continue to offer this package within their supported facilities. Also, projects/activities prioritized in the Flash Appeal that continue into 2021 are setting the stage for reconstruction and longer-term recovery, including economic recovery covered under the 3RF. To that effect, in January 2021, a series of bilateral meetings were convened between the 3RF sectors focal points and the EOC sector’s coordinators in an effort to expedite the transition, while questions remain related to coordination of such interventions under the 3RF. While the 3RF will facilitate the continuation of recovery activities that started in 2020, humanitarian needs will remain in 2021, largely due to the fact that the majority of these needs arose from the political-socio-economic situation in country, and were further exacerbated by the COVID-19 outbreak, both of which pre-dated the Port explosions. Needs 27 were then further exposed by the explosions, alongside the continued deepening of the different crises, as well as the cumulative impact of the COVID-19-related containment measures. In 2021, four main areas remain of particular humanitarian concern: food security, nutrition, health, and education. Moving forward, while the UN and partners aim to focus their efforts on longer-term interventions, tailored humanitarian interventions will likely continue to be required for extremely vulnerable and marginalized groups, whether among the Lebanese population, refugees and migrant workers communities. Since more information and data on needs are required, the UN and partners are planning a country-wide Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment for 2021. In addition, the UN and partners have initiated the revision of the regular HCT contingency planning exercise that articulates preparedness actions revolving around key risk factors, taking into account of the potential rapid deterioration of the situation in country. The COVID-19 outbreak remains a massive public health emergency. As community transmission increased, particularly in the months following the Port explosions and winter holidays, the outbreak deepened vulnerability by creating new humanitarian needs and exacerbating old ones. Despite the launch of the COVID-19 National Deployment and Vaccination Plan in February 2021, the pandemic will continue to impact Lebanon in 2021. Therefore, adaptable, comprehensive and inclusive responses, as well as flexible funding, will remain essential going forward. F. ANNEX
LEBANON F. ANNEX
28 ANNEX 1: RESPONSE DASHBOARD 14% 41% 79% 97% 47% 71% $5.8M $149M² $27.2M received (US$) received 0 April 2021 outside Flash Appeal as of 3 84% percentage Flash Appeal request funded request $65.4M $23.9M $18.5M $52.6M $33.4M $2.8M required $165M¹ (US$) received inside Flash Appeal sector WASH Unspecified Education Protection Food Security Health Shelter Multi-sector $196.6M (US$) total Flash (US$) total Funding Figures Funding Appeal requirement The figures were extracted from the Financial Tracking Service on 28th April 2021. Figures for financial Service on 28th April 2021. Figures Tracking the Financial from extracted were The figures of the iteration those reported from in the previous different contributions outside the Flash Appeal are in FTS. be officially registered continue to recorded as offline contributions previously dashboard
29 UN and humanitarian partnersSources: 2021, Lebanon Flash Appeal 2020. 1- FTS as of 31 march LEBANON Flash Appeal | Beirut Port Explosions Response Dashboard Situation Overview The Beirut Port explosions occurred in the early evening of 4 August 2020 as Lebanon was already grappling with the impact grappling 2020 as Lebanon was already of 4 August The Beirut Port in the early evening explosions occurred through the explosions, and while Lebanese themselves, socio-economic as well sanitary crisis. Following of a grave started support individuals and the civil society in Lebanon via diaspora a massive private campaign, international the International Within less than 24 hours, experts from deployed humanitarian assistance was immediately offered. were with a United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination together (INSARAG), and Rescue Advisory Group Search team, disaster management experts support (USAR) teams to and rescue and other emergency (UNDAC) with urban search the Central $14.1 million from the United Nations immediately released Further, and initial humanitarian response. operations support (LHF) to operations. (CERF) and Lebanon Humanitarian Fund emergency Response Fund Emergency humanitarian an emergency international response, UN coordinated facilitate an efficient and effective to In order facilitate joint It aimed to (HC). was established under the leadership of Humanitarian Coordinator structure coordination the assistance to enable the principled delivery of emergency to strategies response needs assessments and collective implementing humanitarian of the UN agencies and NGOs already capacity and resources building on pre-existing affected, activities in Lebanon. and articulated Lebanon Flash Appeal 2020, seeking US$354.9 million was launched on 14 August The UN-coordinated a education, food of protection, areas the main needs of 300,000 people within sectoral cover to response collective support efforts and logistics. In view of the major response bilateral to implemented through WASH health, shelter, security, $196.6 million to downward the appeal was revised the Lebanese civil society, of Lebanon, as well through the Government 2020. in November centres hospitals and health care to provided supplies, along with medications, were In the first weeks, medical and surgical distributed to shelter kits were assessed; emergency houses and health facilities were of injuries; damages to for treatment and in-kind food parcels undertaken; kits, in addition to and baby were hygiene plumbing repairs and protection; safety ensure set up units were millers; 12 mobile storage distributed to of wheat flour were distributed; 12,500 metric tons hot meals, were services, and psychosocial protection capacity for humanitarian goods and cargo; augment storage at the Port temporary to efforts. allocated for debris clearance were and mental health support and resources provided; services were assessed needs of the affected precisely continuously adapted based on the more During the following months, response power to households’ purchasing increase of cash assistance to the provision towards progressing population, gradually and for longer-term recovery the way pave their food and other necessities, medium-term interventions expected to cover activities, including cash for work, support small and medium enterprises, Some early recovery micro, reconstruction. to the Reform, into subsequently integrated Those activities were also conducted. work, were and reconstruction recovery Union and United Nations and European Bank Group, the World by (3RF), developed and Reconstruction Framework Recovery and the United Nations. France co-hosted by aid conference formally launched in December 2020 following the second Paris In the immediate aftermath of explosions, United Nations partnered building on its solid with the Lebanese Red Cross, The Assessment and Analysis Cell under undertake to the initial assessment of needs. capacity and network of volunteers, timely analysis in support provide of to partners on a common strategy together agree the EOC subsequently brought to response. during the first phase of emergency decision makers This was possible thanks to was maintained on gender equality. attention of humanitarian actors the response, Throughout of gender the preparation fora, coordination of gender expertise in key the initial stages of response the integration from as well in exercises, data (SADD) in needs assessments, monitoring analysis, and the use of sex age disaggregated mechanisms. referral 18 May 2021 2021 May date: 18 Creation [email protected] www.unocha.org www.reliefweb.int https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/lebanon www.reliefweb.int www.unocha.org [email protected] Feedback: ANNEX 1: RESPONSE DASHBOARD
d r- - - $2.4M 215K $2.6M $2.7M $2.2M $5.1M $26.8M $40.6M (US$) funding outside Flash Appeal 0 April 2021 as of 3 $1.1M $1.1M $120K $829K $1.2M $216K $148K $312K $1.4M $445K (US$) funding inside Flash Appeal n/a $1M $7M $1.1M $9.6M $1.4M $8.4M $7.6M $1.2M $760K (US$) funding $1.7M outside Flash Appeal $10M $8.8M $5.5M $3.9M $2.9M $2.2M $9.8M $5.9M $1.5M $39.9M $30.4M (US$) funding inside Flash Appeal ECHO Member States Contributions Report produced based on information included in the OCHA-managed Financial Tracking System of contributions reported Tracking Report based on information included in the OCHA-managed Financial produced donors and humanitarian partners; by outside of the UN-coo voluntarily FTS-reported the humanitarian operation contributions to of reporting FTS,donor as a monetary this financial report considering the voluntary nature equivalent; to cannot be considere exhaustive. 30 in FTS when reported the by recorded Flash Appeal”; in-kind contributions are “funding outside as recorded are dinated response 1M 300K 98K 1M [email protected] www.unocha.org www.reliefweb.int https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/lebanon9 www.reliefweb.int www.unocha.org [email protected] Feedback: PT PT PiN PiN Food Security Health 24.8K 58K 300K 30K as of 31 March 2021, Lebanon Flash Appeal 2020 as of 31 March FTS: PT PiN PT PiN WASH Education LEBANON Flash Appeal | Beirut Port Explosions Response Dashboard UN and humanitarian partnersSources: 219K 145K 152K 152K PiN PiN PT PT Shelter Protection Sectors Needs and Targets Needs and Sectors Situation Overview While the involvement of myriads of different actors, including private individuals, companies and charities, at including private actors, of myriads different While the involvement as well for humanitarian actors challenging for traditional proved ways, in unstructured times responding effort, coordination was undoubtedly invaluable Government-led the work of those first responders the overall Operations and the Emergency Humanitarian sectors the speed of response. contributed to and greatly in supporting a critical role efficient and played a more established at the onset of response Cell (EOC) actors, efforts.The systematic engagement with local and less traditional of the overall coordination effective at the neighborhood level organically mechanisms that had emerged including via other coordination the local NGO forum LHDF. by played role coordination complex despite the strong remained the by responsibility coordination the primary given operational were As the Lebanese Armed Forces efforts, (CMCoord) of Lebanon, Civil-Military Coordination Government initiated at the onset of response, Room (FER) based on Emergency with the Beirut Forward establish a working relationship crucial to were guidance on civil-militaryhumanitarian principles and Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) relations. in a dedicated indicators Sector-specific through tracked of the Flash Appeal were for all projects Progress This publication of situation reportsreporting platform, allowing for the regular and analysis. and monitoring of funding, inside and outside the Flash Appeal, in OCHA managed Funding complemented the tracking plans, as operational pre-explosions funds from Services (FTS). While reporting of reprogrammed Tracking the maximize to been improved well as systematic reporting donors of their contributions could have by funding as of of the FTS platform, notably for activities outside the Flash Appeal, overall comprehensiveness end of April is $314 million, with $165 million funded against the Flash Appeal and $149M reportedly received plan. outside of the coordinated The Lebanon Flash Appeal formally ended on 31 December 2020 but the implementation of some activities assistance the Beirut Port by require population affected explosions continue to continue in 2021. Vulnerable context of the ongoing the impact of explosions in larger from could not fully recover in 2021 as they further pandemic. Moving the COVID-19 exacerbated by political and socio-economic crisis in country, while the UN and partnersforward, focus their efforts aim to on longer-term interventions, it is expected that and marginalized vulnerable for extremely be required humanitarian interventions will continue to tailored groups. 18 May 2021 2021 May date: 18 Creation ANNEX 1: RESPONSE DASHBOARD El-Matn Mansouriyet Roukoz Deir mar Baouchriyeh 0 April 2021 Mkalles Location of Explosions 3Km range of explosions Governorate Boundary Cadaster Boundary Zones within 3Km of explosions Low-income Majority low-income Approx. 50% low-income Minority low-income Not low-income Not residential as of 3 ! ! ( Dekouaneh MOUNT LEBANON Bourj Hammoud Sinn El-Fil Baabda Medawar Furn Hadath Beyrouth Ech-Chebbak Achrafieh Remeil ! ! (
31 Marfaa Chiyah Saifeh Haret Hreik District Beirut Central Mazraa BEIRUT Bachoura el-Blatt Zoukak
Mediterranean Sea Minet el-Hosn Moussaytbeh Ain LEBANON Flash Appeal | Beirut Port Explosions Response Dashboard el-Mreisseh Ras Beyrouth اﻷرد ن JORD AN BEIRUT Socio-economic vulnerability per zone Socio-economic vulnerability The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. the United The boundaries and names shown the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by ANNEX 1: RESPONSE DASHBOARD ) eal ed p pp v iv Ap ce sh M 3 re $3M $ Fla ) 17% de S$ i s U 0 April 2021 tsi (U (US$) received 2,785 ou (outside Flash Appeal) ( 65% 14,456 26% 23% 19% GAP GAP as of 3 PEOPLE TARGETED PEOPLE REACHED PEOPLE TARGETED PEOPLE REACHED 17% 19% 28%
41% 38% $3.3M¹ 8,040 5,255 (US$) received 20,100 5,644 # of people provided with specialized Mental Health Psychosocial Support and Focused Non-specialised Psychosocial Support # of people benefitting from counseling, legal assistance and representation $23.9M (US$) required 32% 2,222 13% 17% 22,731 GAP 22 GAP 54% PEOPLE REACHED PEOPLE TARGETED PEOPLE REACHED PEOPLE TARGETED 33% partners 39% 34% 3%
32 37% 22 26% 11,719 4,830 2,608 34,450 # of people with specific needs, including disabilities, receiving individual counseling, case management and specialized support # of people engaged in Community-Based Child Protection activities projects [email protected] www.unocha.org www.reliefweb.int https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/lebanon www.reliefweb.int www.unocha.org [email protected] Feedback: 19% 152K 14% 15% people targeted 83,298 46,802 23% GAP GAP PEOPLE REACHED PEOPLE TARGETED PEOPLE TARGETED PEOPLE REACHED 17% 40% Ensure protection mainstreaming and community participation Provide appropriate and efficient protection services 152K 20% 41% people in need 6% 31% as of 31 March 2021, Lebanon Flash Appeal 2020 as of 31 March 5,652 88,950 58,670 11,868 # of people benefitting from information sessions, awareness sessions and individual consultations on how to access services (excl. legal services) # of people with specific needs supported with protection or emergency cash FTS: 94% 84% 13% Boys 21% 507 4% 3,968 GAP Girls 1% Sector co-coordinator: Eliane Abi Sleiman [email protected] Child Protection coordinator: Jackline Atwi [email protected] GAP UN and humanitarian partnersSources: PEOPLE TARGETED PEOPLE REACHED PEOPLE TARGETED PEOPLE REACHED LEBANON Flash Appeal | Beirut Port Explosions Response Dashboard Protection 76% Women Men 82%
GBV coordinator: Erica Talentino [email protected] Sector coordinator: Elsa Bousquet [email protected] 25,400 7,443 Gender & Age 7,950 # of people reached through protection and gender-based violence (GBV) outreach, and risk mitigation activities # of people reached through GBV services 21,432 18 May 2021 2021 May date: 18 Creation the Flash Appeal. outside - and funding received the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP) from funding - re-programmed the use of both pre-existing a substantial amount of services, thanks to provided Sector 1-Despite limited funding against the Flash Appeal, Protection ANNEX 1: RESPONSE DASHBOARD ) eal ed pp v iv A ¹ ce sh re 9 .1 M Fla ) $9.1M¹ $ 89 de S$ i 0 April 2021 s U 205 tsi (US$) received (U GAP ou (outside Flash Appeal) ( GAP as of 3 TEACHERS REACHED TEACHERS TARGETED PUBLIC SCHOOLS TARGETED PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPPORTED 5% $14.6M 94 3 0% 205 # of public schools supported with replacement of damaged equipment and furniture 0 # of teachers supported with devices/data bundles (US$) received $18.5M (US$) required 188 GAP 11,000 10 GAP
partners 33 6% STUDENTS REACHED STUDENTS TARGETED TEACHERS REACHED TEACHERS TARGETED 10 0% [email protected] www.unocha.org www.reliefweb.int https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/lebanon www.reliefweb.int www.unocha.org [email protected] Feedback: 10 12 # of teachers who received psycho- social support services 11,000 # of students supported with devices/data bundles 200 projects 24.8K people targeted as of 31 March 2021, Lebanon Flash Appeal 2020 as of 31 March 97 97 FTS: 94% 34% GAP GAP Support rehabilitation of affected Educational Institutions (EIs) Increase access to quality formal and non-formal learning opportunities for affected children Psychosocial support to teachers and students 58K people in need STUDENTS REACHED STUDENTS TARGETED Boys 43% EI REHABILITATED EI TARGETED 66% Girls UN and humanitarian partnersSources: # of rehabilitated educational institutions (EIs)* 72 1,419 # of students who received psycho- social support services and and emotional learning support 1,516 169 LEBANON Flash Appeal | Beirut Port Explosions Response Dashboard Education Women Men Sector coordinator: Hala El Helou [email protected] Sector co-coordinator: Sarah Bou Ajram [email protected] 1-$1M re-programmed from the LCRP to implement some of the activities. *Total of ongoing and completed work. implement some of the activities. *Total to the LCRP from 1-$1M re-programmed 18 May 2021 2021 May date: 18 Creation Gender & Age ANNEX 1: RESPONSE DASHBOARD ) eal ed pp v iv Ap ce sh re Fla 1 3. 7M ) of wheat flour $ $13.7M de 1,359 S$ i 0 April 2021 s U tsi (U (US$) received GAP ou (outside Flash Appeal) ( as of 3 MSMEs REACHED MSMEs TARGETED 12,500 metric tons distributed, covering approximately 80 per cent of affected stocks 20% # of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) supported with rehabilitation or financial assistance 331 1,690 $50.9M (US$) received 0 0 2% GAP GAP 19% 18% $52.6M (US$) required 23% 98% 100% PEOPLE TARGETED PEOPLE REACHED 100% PEOPLE TARGETED PEOPLE REACHED 18 40% partners # of beneficiaries receiving hot meals/ready to eat meals 10,000 28,702 6,000 # of mothers/caregivers receiving at least one counselling session by a lactation specialist 34 32,708 18 projects [email protected] www.unocha.org www.reliefweb.int https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/lebanon www.reliefweb.int www.unocha.org [email protected] Feedback: 48,433 24% 23% GAP 50% 98K 24% PEOPLE TARGETED PEOPLE REACHED people targeted MONEY DISBURSED (LBP) MONEY DISBURSED (US$)
29% 97,540 49,107 # of beneficiaries receiving in-kind food parcels as of 31 March 2021, Lebanon Flash Appeal 2020 as of 31 March 4,347M 14.2M total amount of money disbursed for multi-purpose cash assistance FTS: 1M Enhance food security through immediate lifesaving and nutrition assistance Enhance food security through livelihoods assistance and support to light Port-infrastructure rehabilitation people in need 0 0 GAP GAP Boys 15% 11% 16% 13% Girls UN and humanitarian partnersSources: 34% Food Security LEBANON Flash Appeal | Beirut Port Explosions Response Dashboard 33% 100% 100% PEOPLE TARGETED PEOPLE REACHED PEOPLE REACHED PEOPLE TARGETED Women Men 38% 40% Sector coordinator: Carla Degregorio [email protected] Sector co-coordinator: Joseph Nakhle [email protected] 4,500 94,021 # of beneficiaries receiving multi-purpose cash assistance # of beneficiaries receiving food vouchers 90,130 15,179 18 May 2021 2021 May date: 18 Creation Gender & Age ANNEX 1: RESPONSE DASHBOARD ) eal e ed pp Ap 26 trauma M ce iv sh 1. 9 re 15% 9% Fla ) $ $6 $61.9M d de S S$ PSS 0 April 2021 i tsi (U (US$) received 19% 2,156 ou (outside Flash Appeal) ( as of 3 CONSULTATIONS PROVIDED CONSULTATIONS PROVIDED and 375 local medical response 57% 1.75M vaccine doses safely relocated 4 classified emergency medical teams teams mobilized 13 hospitals provided with kits and 13 surgical supply 2781 Mental Health Immediate Emergency Response N/A 4,937 # of mental health consultations and psycho-social support (PSS) interventions provided $15.6M (US$) received 0 GAP 11% 16% $33.4M (US$) required 35% 100% SESSIONS TARGETED¹ SESSIONS PROVIDED MOBILE MEDICAL UNITS TARGETED MOBILE MEDICAL UNITS SUPPORTED 17 38%
partners 35 N/A 964 16 20 # of mobile medical units supported, including outreach teams # of physical rehabilitation sessions provided [email protected] www.unocha.org www.reliefweb.int https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/lebanon www.reliefweb.int www.unocha.org [email protected] Feedback: 17 projects 0 12 GAP 67% GAP 87% 13% 100% 300K PHCs TARGETED VISITS PROVIDED VISITS TARGETED PHCs SUPPORTED people targeted as of 31 March 2021, Lebanon Flash Appeal 2020 as of 31 March FTS: 49 33 # of affected primary healthcare centers (PHCs) supported with restoration of services, rehabilitation of structures and equipment, as well as essential medical staff, including PPE 2,133 # of Ante-Natal Care visits provided 1,969 Other 7% 0 0 1M 8% MMU Boys GAP GAP Support reconstruction of the Central Drug Warehouse, and rehabilitation of damaged health facilities to enable and maintain functionality and service delivery Support reconstruction of the Central Drug Warehouse, and rehabilitation damaged health facilities to enable maintain functionality kits and essential medications Enhance access to quality essential and critical health services, including for emergency response by procuring lifesaving trauma Strengthen infection prevention and control measures to prevent a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases Assess impact of environmental hazards on public health Outreach people in need Girls 29% UN and humanitarian partnersSources: LEBANON Flash Appeal | Beirut Port Explosions Response Dashboard 100% CONSULTATIONS PROVIDED 100% HOSPITALS TARGETED HOSPITALS SUPPORTED Women Men CONSULTATIONS TARGETED Health
56% PHC/Dispensary/SDC Sector coordinator: Christina Bethke [email protected] Sector co-coordinator: Maher al-Tawil [email protected] 23,976 18 May 2021 2021 May date: 18 Creation 20 29 # of affected hospitals supported with restoration of services, including in-patient care, and essential medical staff and supplies, including PPE 8,400 # of out-patient consultations provided Gender & Age ANNEX 1: RESPONSE DASHBOARD 0 $5.9M 0 April 2021 GAP (US$) received 104% (outside Flash Appeal) as of 3 23% 22% HH REACHED 25% HH TARGETED $46.7M
(US$) received 28% 2,310 2,417 # of households (HHs) supported with cash-for-rent $65.4M (US$) required 27 partners 11%12% 3,760 3,137 72% GAP 36 GAP 52% 35% 27 projects HH TARGETED HH REACHED APARTMENTS REACHED APARTMENTS TARGETED
42% [email protected] www.unocha.org www.reliefweb.int https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/lebanon www.reliefweb.int www.unocha.org [email protected] Feedback: # of residential units benefitting from rehabilitation (level 2, moderate damage)* 9,640 # of households (HHs) supported with cash-for-shelter 3,363 6,500 13,400 118K people targeted Respond to the immediate sheltering needs of most vulnerable households Contribute to longer-term repair, or rehabilitation of damaged buildings Support multi-sectoral approaches to rehabilitate affected areas 219K as of 31 March 2021, Lebanon Flash Appeal 2020 as of 31 March FTS: people in need 72% 9,415 7,158 17% 18% GAP GAP 46% PEOPLE TARGETED PEOPLE REACHED Boys 31% APARTMENTS TARGETED APARTMENTS REACHED Girls Sector co-coordinator: Carolina Mansur [email protected]
UN and humanitarian partnersSources: LEBANON Flash Appeal | Beirut Port Explosions Response Dashboard 34% Shelter 34,000 24,585 6,042 Women Men # of individuals assisted in maintain- ing safe and liveable residential units through emergency-weatherproofing assistance (shelter kits) # of residential units benefitting from minor repair (level 1, light damage)* 13,200 Sector co-coordinator: Tom Corcoran [email protected] Sector coordinator: Bobbie Francis Baker [email protected] *Total of ongoing and completed work. *Total 18 May 2021 2021 May date: 18 Creation Gender & Age ANNEX 1: RESPONSE DASHBOARD ) eal e ed pp Ap ¹ 0 ce iv sh re 0 .5 M Fla ) GAP $ $0.5M¹ d de S S$ i 0 April 2021 U ts (U (US$) received ou (outside Flash Appeal) ( as of 3 100% PUMPS INSTALLED ESTIMATED DAMAGED 347 347 # of pumps installed $1.1M¹ (US$) received $2.8M (US$) required 0 123 GAP GAP 8 86%
partners 37 100% ESTIMATED DAMAGED TANKS INSTALLED KITS DISTRIBUTED PLANNED FOR DISTRIBUTION 8 [email protected] www.unocha.org www.reliefweb.int https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/lebanon www.reliefweb.int www.unocha.org [email protected] Feedback: projects 790 4,383 4,383 913 # of baby kits distributed # of tanks installed 30K people targeted as of 31 March 2021, Lebanon Flash Appeal 2020 as of 31 March FTS: 0 GAP 300K 2,808 Support Beirut and Mount Lebanon Water Establishment (BMLWE) in rehabilitation of WASH infrastructure maintenance service Provide safe and accessible emergency water sanitation services Promote and support good hygiene practices 85% GAP people in need Boys KITS DISTRIBUTED PLANNED FOR DISTRIBUTION Girls PEOPLE TARGETED PEOPLE REACHED 100% UN and humanitarian partnersSources: LEBANON Flash Appeal | Beirut Port Explosions Response Dashboard WASH buildings) Women Men * (4,743 households, 1,338 15,892 20,000 23,780* Water supply connection re-established 18,700 # of hygiene kits distributed Sector coordinator: Olivier Thonet [email protected] Sector co-coordinator: Khouloud Mahdi [email protected] 18 May 2021 2021 May date: 18 Creation 1-$2.8M re-programmed from the LCRP to implement some of the activities. to the LCRP from 1-$2.8M re-programmed Gender & Age ANNEX 2: CASH RESPONSE OVERVIEW
LEBANON Flash Appeal | Beirut Port Explosions | Cash response overview As of 30 April 2021
# of beneficiaries receiving food # of beneficiaries receiving # of micro, small and medium-sized vouchers multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) enterprises (MSMEs) supported with financial assistance 4,500 PEOPLE TARGETED 90,130 PEOPLE TARGETED 1,190 MSMEs TARGETED
15,179 PEOPLE REACHED 94,021 PEOPLE REACHED 267 MSMEs REACHED 40% 34% 15% 11% 38% 33% 16% 13%
337% 104% 22%
GAP n/a GAP n/a GAP 851 Vouchers are used to purchase food for a given The low number of MSMEs reached is due to quantity or value in selected shops. the limited funding received.
# of people supported with cash-for-work # of people with specific needs supported # of households (HHs) supported with # of households (HHs) supported with with protection or emergency cash cash-for-rent cash-for-shelter
88,950 PEOPLE TARGETED 2,310 HHS TARGETED 13,480 HHS TARGETED
5,652 PEOPLE REACHED 2,417 HHS REACHED 9,640 HHS REACHED 31% 40% 14% 15% 28% 25% 24% 23% 42% 35% 12%11%
6% 104% 72% 38 GAP 83,298 GAP 0 GAP 3,840
Total amounts disbursed in different currencies by modality:
2,224 Food Vouchers 7,982 4,347 16,672 MPCA 14,241 440 MSME's 417 4,508 Cash for Rent 1,670
Cash for Shelter 5,725 3,960 Emergency Cash Assistance 58 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 0 3000 6000 9000 12000 15000 In Million LBP In Thousand USD
Total Sum injected in Cash: 15.5 billion LBP* & 30 million USD
Gender & Age Women Men Girls Boys
*This amount is equivalent to approximately 4 million USD, disbursed in LBP at the banking platform rate of 3,900 LBP/USD which is the rate provided to the majority of cash actors disbursing in LBP by financial service providers across the country.
Flash appeal cash partners who contributed to reporting across sectors: Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED), Global Communities, INTERSOS Humanitarian Aid Organization, International Rescue Committee (IRC), Makhzoumi Foundation (MF), Middle East Revive and Thrive LEBANON (MERATH), Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), OXFAM, PCPM - Polish Center for International Aid, Relief International (RI), Save the Children (SC), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), World Food Programme (WFP)
Creation date: 18 May 2021 Sources: UN and humanitarian partners Feedback: [email protected] www.unocha.org www.reliefweb.int https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/lebanon ANNEX 3: GENDER REVIEW OF THE RESPONSE - KEY FINDINGS
LEBANON Flash Appeal | Beirut Port Explosions Gender review of the response | Key findings As of January 2021
The gender review of the humanitarian response to the Beirut explosion was conducted thanks to dedicated capacity of a Gender Advisor within OCHA team through the secondment from UN Women. The review suggests that the Flash Appeal response to the Beirut Port explosions maintained some attention to gender equality throughout its duration, with several efforts that can be highlighted as best practices for future activities in both Lebanon and other emergency settings - analysis based on data from Activity Info monitoring platform as of 31 December 2020.
I Gendered impact of the explosions
• 52 per cent of the population were identified as female headed households (FHH).i Disproportionate Impact on Female-Headed Households • Female headed households were more likely to have family members over 60 years old living with them than Female Headed Households Male Headed Households male headed households.ii FHHs were also more likely to 59% have household members with chronic illness. 56% • Income generation fell sharply across all households but 52% 48% FHHs remain less likely to generate income. In October 46% 44% 2020, 66 per cent of male headed households (MHH) had at least one household member generate income in the previous month while this was true for only 57 per cent of FHH. In December 2020, this dropped to 27 per cent of 27% MHHs reporting income generation versus 21 per cent of FHHs. 21% • Cash remained the top need for MHHs and FHHs with an increase in the percentage of households reporting cash as the priority need (from 40 per cent of MHHs and FHHs in October to 51 per cent MHHs and 49 per cent FHHs 39 prioritizing cash). % in affected Likelihood of Likelihood of having % with at least • FHHs (14 per cent) were a little more likely than MHHs (11 population having household household members one household per cent) to report medication as a priority need. members over 60 with chronic illness member generating years old income in the -i Analysis of data generated through the LRC monthly MSNA (December past month 2020). -ii Analysis of data generated through the LRC monthly MSNA (December 2020). II Prioritization of Gender Equality in Humanitarian Response
Of the 103 projects selected to be a part of the 2020 Lebanon Flash Appeal to respond to the Beirut Port explosions, • 56 per cent of projects demonstrated a recognition of the gendered inequalities and referred to specific needs of women and girls, female-headed households, or LGBTIQ persons. Gender in Flash Appeal Projects
% of projects with some reference % of projects with specific attention to gender in the project document to gender in proposed activities
68%
58% 59% 59% 53% 53%
40% 37% 38% 38%
26% 20%
Education Food Security Health Protection Shelter WASH
Page 1 ANNEX 3: GENDER REVIEW OF THE RESPONSE - KEY FINDINGS
LEBANON Flash Appeal | Beirut Port Explosions Gender review of the response | Key findings As of January 2021
• However, this did not always translate to concrete activities or provisions being proposed in the project plan to address the identified inequalities and needs. Only 43 per cent of projects integrated gender concerns in the proposed activities.
Attention to PSEA Attention to Female Headed Households in Flash Appeal Projects in Flash Appeal Projects
No attention to PSEA Some reference to PSEA No reference to FHHs Some reference to FHHs
13% 19%
87% 79%
• Only 19 per cent included some reference to Protection of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), and 13 per cent contained references to female headed households.
III Disaggregation by Gender and Age in Monitoring Exercise
40 • 88 per cent (21 of 24) of indicators established by sectors to monitor progress track numbers of persons reached with sex and age disaggregation.
Use of SADD Monitoring
Indicators with Indicators using SADD gender-blind data
13%
87%
IV Participation and Leadership of Women Percentage of women and men and Women’s Groups in Response in humanitarian coordination mechanisms
• With 62 per cent of the Lebanon HCT comprising of % of Women women, the decision-making body is one among only 38% 40% five globally in which at least 50 per cent of the HCT % of Men comprises of women. • The gender breakdown of the representatives iii participating in the EOC is also similar with 60 per cent 62% 60% of the membership estimated to be women.
HCT Emergency Operations Cell
-iii Both estimates based on data available from UNOCHA. Page 2 ANNEX 3: GENDER REVIEW OF THE RESPONSE - KEY FINDINGS
LEBANON Flash Appeal | Beirut Port Explosions Gender review of the response | Key findings As of January 2021
Breakdown of Recipient Organizations in the Flash Appeal
% of FA funding directly received by 3% women's rights organizations (WRO)
% of LGBTIQ+ focused 1.80% organizations among FA recipients
% of WRO among FA recipients 11%
% of women led organizations 27% among FA recipients
iv • Of the 56 organizations that received funding directly through the Flash Appeal, 27 per cent were women-led organizatoins and six (11 per cent) were women’s rights organizations explicitly and primarily focusing on gender equality and women’s rights.v • This included one receiving organization specifically focused on the needs of LGBTIQ+ persons. • However, of the US$156 million that was channeled through the Flash Appeal, less than 3 per cent of funding went to the six organizations principally working towards gender equality and women’s rights (including national NGOs, INGOs, and UN vi agencies) despite a strong presence of national and international women’s rights organizations in Lebanon.
-iv “Women-led organization” must be headed by a woman as director/head of organization. Adopted from criteria used by the Women, Peace and Humanitarian Fund. For multi-country/international organizations, an organization was categorized as “women-led” if the Lebanon office is led by a woman. -v To be considered a “Women’s Rights or Feminist Organization,” the organization’s official mission/vision statement must reflect its commitment to addressing multiple/intersecting forms of discrimination and advancing gender equality and women’s rights. Adopted from criteria used by the Women, Peace and Humanitarian Fund. -vi This was calculated based on data extracted from the Financial Tracking Service website as of 31 December 2020 and only covers direct recipients of the Lebanon Flash Appeal. Any funding that was subsequently transferred to women’s rights organization from recipients of the Flash Appeal is not included here. 41 V Humanitarian Services Reaching Women and Girls
• Although women and girls formed the majority of recipients for GBV outreach and response services, they were under- represented among those receiving protection and emergency cash assistance as well as legal representation.vii
Gender Breakdown of Beneficiaries per Services Provided
Women Men Girls Boys 77%
61%
53%
43% 38% 37%
25% 20% 18% 19%
2% 1% 2% 2% 0.5% 1.5% People reached through People reached People with specific People benefitting from protection and GBV through GBV services needs supported counseling, legal outreach, and risk with protection or assistance and legal mitigation activities emergency cash representation
-vii For a full overview of the monitoring data, including the gender and age breakdown of the progress made by individual sectors under selected areas of work, please refer to OCHA’s Flash Appeal - Beirut Port Explosions Response Dashboard
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