Lebanon Humanitarian Crisis

Balance Requested from ACT Alliance: US$ 3,992,378

On 12 July, Israel launched an offensive against Lebanon following the capture of two of its soldiers by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Israel attacked Hezbollah positions along the border with heavy artillery, tank fire and aerial assaults. For 34 days, the Israeli military operations targeted all regions of Lebanon focusing on the South of Lebanon and the Southern Suburbs of Beirut, a populous, popular and overpopulated area. These regions were already considered in the Lebanese context as very poor.

According to the official figures there were 1,287 persons killed, 4,054 injured and 1,200,000 uprooted (25% of the total Lebanese population). 15,000 houses and apartment buildings were completely destroyed and thousands of shops and other constructions severely damaged or destroyed. Basic services such as roads, bridges, energy plants and water were also severely affected. The entire agriculture sector was affected as transport of goods became impossible, export has stopped and most foreign labor escaped because of the shelling. To this should be added the ecological disaster due to the shelling and leakage of around 15,000 tons of fuel oil to the Mediterranean Sea leaving fishermen jobless and without any source of income.

On July 27, 2006 an ACT preliminary appeal comprising the ACT/Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) proposal was issued to respond to this emergency. The current appeal includes a revision of the MECC proposal, who will provide food and non food aid and develop health, psychosocial and immediate economic recovery activities. MECC will also develop water and sanitation activities in cooperation with the Norwegian Church Aid (NCA). ACT/International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) will provide non food assistance and develop immediate economic recovery activities and reconstruction of schools and water systems.

This appeal replaces the ACT preliminary appeal.

Project Completion Date:

IOCC: October 2006 – March 2007
MECC/ICNDR: August 2006 – July 2007
MECC/ICNDR/NCA: August 2006 – January 2007

Reporting Schedule

Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance Requested

Signed by:

Jessie Kgoroeadira
Acting Director, ACT Co-ordinating Office