Lebanon crisis – Nahr El Bared refugee camp – WHO Health Cluster Bulletin (excerpts)

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The Lebanon Crisis Health Cluster Bulletin aims to give an overview of the health activities conducted by the health cluster partners in relation to the latest Lebanon conflict as well as the crisis in the Palestinian camps. It compiles health information received from the different organizations working in the most affected areas.

The Health Cluster Bulletin will be issued every other Wednesday.

Situation Overview

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Nahr El-Bared Crisis

• Fights ended in Naher El-Bared camp on September 2 and the Lebanese army is controlling the camp.

• The Lebanese Prime Minister called for a donors’ conference on reconstruction of Naher El-Bared camp and its surroundings. The conference took place in Beirut on September 10. So far, several donors pledged 22 million USD of the preliminarily 382 million estimates. The requested amount should cover emergency needs of Internally Displace Refugees (IDRs) (55 million USD) and Lebanese inhabitants (28 million USD) as a first phase and reconstruction of the camp (249 million USD) in addition to compensation for Lebanese belongings (50 million USD) as a second phase. Donors are awaiting information from assessment and studies in relation to the crisis.

• As per UNRWA report, the first assessment suggests that almost the totality of the Naher El-Bared old camp has been destroyed as well as the UNRWA compound to the north of the camp. In addition, the infrastructure in the Naher El-Bared and its surroundings is not functioning.

• UXOs and structurally damaged building in Naher El-Bared camp constitute serious threats to returning refugees and humanitarian workers. The Lebanese army is clearing a humanitarian corridor to the Naher El-Bared camp.

• With the upcoming scholastic year, IDRs were requested to evacuate the governmental schools in Tripoli-North Lebanon. Further, as per UNRWA report, a high proportion of IDRs lost their job and income in the Naher El-Bared camp.

Health Response to the Humanitarian Crisis

National and international Health Cluster partners are providing support in four core areas:

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Nahr El-Bared Crisis

• According to UNRWA, reports from Beddawi and Mina clinics as well as the mobile clinic showed no changes in the incidence of communicable diseases.

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Nahr El-Bared Crisis

• The Thirteenth Health Cluster meeting chaired by UNRWA took place on September 6 at UNRWA-Lebanon Field Office in Beirut. The meeting discussed the emergency return plan precisely for the first three months period as of entry permission by the Lebanese army. Weekly meetings will be resumed and the next meeting will take place on September 18 at the same timing and venue.

• A consolidated flash appeal “Emergency Appeal for Northern Lebanon” has been launched on September 10, 2007. The appeal seeks 54,801,082 USD to meet the emergency needs of the affected population for a twelve-month period and to plan for the safe return of displaced residents to Naher El-Bared.

• A matrix on the Humanitarian interventions of the various partners acting in response to the Nahr El-Bared crisis is available on www.lebanon-support.org.

Nahr El-Bared Crisis

• UNRWA will establish at the Northern entry of Naher El- Bared camp a fixed clinic of prefabricated units to provide primary health care services to returnees. Dental care will be made available through the mobile dental unit transferred from Tyr area.

• UNRWA and Palestinian Red Crescent (PRCS) will coordinate the disinfection activities in Naher El-Bared camp. UNRWA will provide volunteers’ training as well as needed equipments, spraying products and protective clothes.

• PRCS will provide outpatient medical services including assessment services, consultations and provision of medications through two clinics to be established at the Northern and Southern entrance of Naher El- Bared camp.

• Health Care society continues the provision of chronic diseases medications in Beddawi camp expanding its services to Naher El-Bared camp.

• UNICEF will support UNRWA in Re-vitalizing the of EPI services, health promotion activities in addition to maternal and neonatal health services including breast-feeding promotion.

• Beit Atfal As-Somoud is planning, depending on availability of premises, to deliver in El-Bared camp, services similar to those provided in Beddawi camp such as psychological counseling, comprehensive psychiatric care, dental and reproductive health care. The association premises in Naher El-Bared are partially destroyed.

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World Health Organization

http://www.leb.emro.who.int/

http://www.virtualhic.org

All inputs are welcome on: health@leb.emro.who.int