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Lebanon Blast Emergency: Rapid Needs Assessment (14 August 2020)

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Context

The two explosions that erupted in Beirut on Tuesday August 4th, killed at least 178 people, with more than 6,000 people injured (as of 13/08/2020). Hundreds have been reported missing in the aftermath of the blast, raising fears that the death toll will rise. The second explosion’s shock wave raced from the site of the blasts, Beirut’s industrial waterfront, into the city’s densely populated residential neighborhoods and shopping districts downtown. The immediate damage to the port infrastructure has hampered critical supply chains and humanitarian relief. According to the local authorities, 300,000 people have lost their homes and the damages have been reported in areas two miles away, where more than 750,000 people live. With seasonal rains looming in September, house rehabilitation is vital.

The blast came at a sensitive time where Lebanon is facing extraordinary difficulties both economically and socio-politically, that intersect with the onset of COVID-19 and have resulted in the resignation of the government. These factors, along with existing weaknesses of the public health system and the scars from Lebanon’s tumultuous past, are likely to have an enormous impact on long term socio-economic outcomes as well as the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of people, particularly for at-risk groups such as youth, daily workers, female-headed households, older people, people with specific needs, as well as migrants and refugees. While there are immediate humanitarian needs to be met, response efforts need to be linked to long term socioeconomic recovery.

The emergency in Beirut has caused many COVID-19 precautionary measures to be relaxed, raising the likelihood of even higher transmission rates and an alarming caseload in the coming weeks. For a health care system that was already struggling to deal with demand, the damage to health facilities and impact on healthcare workers will add additional pressure. According to the Ministry of Public Health, a total of 7,413 cases have now been detected in Lebanon and 89 deaths (as of 13/08/2020). The source of over half of the new coronavirus infections was unknown as the contact tracing capacity of the country is overwhelmed. The rapid rise in cases has caused alarm across the country.

Whilst the current relief efforts have captivated global attention, challenges remain around coordinating vast informal activities of community-based organisations, and the populations’ deepened sense of uncertainty and unrest about the future. In the confusion, disturbing cases are emerging of people in highly vulnerable situations being exploited.

Key Findings

• There are a range of actors responding, however coordination with informal actors is a challenge and the necessary accountability mechanisms are not in place for an appropriate response. There are also reported cases of the exploitation of older people by others posing as volunteers.
• Basic needs for food, cash and in-kind assistance are extremely high. Local market functionality may struggle to meet demand, which will heighten the barriers for those already at risk.
• In this immensely challenging process of recovery and rehabilitation, there are protection risks and 26% of respondents felt that their mental health was a major health concern, especially for older people (25%) and among Syrian refugees (32%).
• Whilst 98% of respondents reported housing unit damage, there are particular vulnerabilities regarding the infrastructure of electricity, sewage and water networks, especially in the Karantina and Bourj Hammoud areas.
• 34% of respondents had difficulties accessing health services, compounding the underlying problem of effectively dealing with COVID-19, especially for those with the underlying health problems, exacerbated by the low capacity of the health system.
• The blast will have a long-term impact on the lives of people in highly vulnerable situations and immediate humanitarian response efforts need to be linked to long term socioeconomic recovery.