Emergency Relief Coordinator allocates $5 million to humanitarian crisis in Lebanon (24 July 2006)

Jan Egeland in Lebanon [Photo: IRIN]

Today Under-Secretary General and Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland decided to allocate $5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to Lebanon to jump-start the United Nations operation there on the basis of the UN Flash Appeal for humanitarian aid to Lebanon which was launched today in New York and Beruit.

“The aid community can help save lives in this region if we act now,” said Jan Egeland. “The CERF will allow us to buy desperately needed supplies such as medicines for the hospitals and make it possible for us to rapidly mount a humanitarian logistics operation, including sea and road transport, communications, and security. These common services help all of us, not just the United Nations, get the aid to those who need it most.”  Jan Egeland added, however, that CERF funds are modest and must be followed by immediate commitments from donors to the broader Flash Appeal of $149 million.

Lebanon under Israeli attacks [Photo: IRIN]

The Emergency Relief Coordinator made the decision to allocate CERF funds during his mission to Lebanon, where he toured destruction in Beruit and met the UN Country Team and the UN Resident Coordinator. After surveying the immediate needs and following consultations with the field staff, he decided to allocate the CERF funding among the following clusters: health ($1 million), water and sanitation ($1 million), Logistics ($2.5 million), and common humanitarian services ($500,000).  The UN Country Team and the Resident Coordinator will make recommendations on specific projects amongst these clusters for disbursement.

The UN Flash Appeal is intended to help meet humanitarian needs in Lebanon and Syria arising as a result of two weeks of conflict between the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) and Lebanese group Hezbollah (‘Party of God’). Approximately 800,000 people are affected by the conflict, of whom some have become internally displaced persons (IDPs) or refugees.