Lebanon Crisis Service Availability Assessment

Since the beginning of the crisis in Lebanon on July 12, 2006, it has been reported as of August 24, 2006 that 1,1841 of people were killed and more than 4,0591 were wounded. Internally displaced population (IDP) were more than 900,000 2 of which 550,000 1 have returned home and ‘as a result of damage to property and Unexploded ordnances (UXOs) as many as a third have not yet returned. Proximity to the Israeli border (Blue Line) may also be a reason for slower returns’. In addition, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) military operation has caused enormous damage to residential areas and key civilian infrastructure such as power plants, seaports, fuel depots, and hospital and health centres were destroyed. Seventy-two bridges and virtually all road networks have been systematically destroyed leaving entire communities in the South inaccessible. This profound damage to traffic arteries is posing key challenges to Government institutions and humanitarian agencies alike, particularly in remote areas of the South. The remains of unexploded ordinance splattered all over form a major ongoing threat to the health of the population. The humanitarian priorities resulting of the cessation of hostilities include addressing the health needs of the rapidly returning population, including the threat of unexploded ordinance (UXO) and cluster bombs in South Lebanon and strengthening the UN humanitarian hubs in Tyre and Saida. The focus of health partners is shifting to early recovery and reconstruction of the health system. Led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), health partners have been supporting the national authorities in providing immediate assistance to affected populations, including access to safe drinking water, disinfection, health care, vaccines and medications to ensure the availability of the non communicable disease drugs as antidiabetic, anti-hypertensive, according to the health profile of Lebanon and the actual need, and over all Coordination of the Health Cluster, in close collaboration with the MOPH, as the health cluster leading UN agency and the MOPH partner. General objective: Assessment of the functional damage and service availabilities in the health facilities in the affected areas after the July 2006 hostilities.