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Action by Churches Together reports on situation in Lebanon

August 21, 2006

Geneva--Information provided by ACT member Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)/ Inter-church Network for Development and Relief (ICNDR) for the period August 16-18.

General situation

With the Israeli retreat from the south of Lebanon, the Lebanese army continues to deploy its troops in the region, the first time in 40 years that it has witnessed the presence and control of the Lebanese army.

The blockade seems to have eased and will hopefully be lifted in the coming few days. On August 17, two planes landed at Beirut International Airport, and one cargo ship carrying fuel tanks anchored at Beirut's port and offloaded its cargo.

The truce is holding, and centers for the displaced have gradually emptied as displaced families in Beirut have nearly all returned to their homes in the southern suburbs of the capital or to their villages in the south. A number of families have remained, either in rented houses in Beirut or to stay with family or friends.

The long journey to the south of Lebanon that used to take three hours or more due to the destruction of the highways and bridges has now improved as the coastal road is partially opened.

The removal of rubble and bodies is taking place, and collective funerals are taking place in various locations.

MECC/ICNDR-ACT activities

The ICNDR regional coordinators have returned to their towns in southern Lebanon. They have started to reassess the needs and the movement of returning people and to evaluate the most suitable time to start the post-crisis response.

To increase its capacity in Beirut and the south, MECC/ICNDR-ACT has secured warehouses in various areas and employed field workers to carry out the crisis and post-crisis operations.

On August 16, three MECC/ICNDR staff members traveled to Saida to assess the situation. They visited the municipality of Saida. In addition to relief needs, the water and sanitation situation and needs were discussed. The Norwegian Church Aid (an ACT member assisting MECC/ICNDR with water and sanitation) team has rented and installed a generator for one month in the district of Ain Al Delb to pump the water to be used by around 2,000 local residents and IDPs living in this village. Food parcels were distributed during the visit to the IDPs and to hardship cases.

The MECC/ICNDR-NCA team also participated in a coordinating meeting at the mayor’s office in Saida, which a representative of the Saida municipality and of the NGO collective also attended. Issues discussed included the general situation of the people in the region, their needs, and the future plan for assistance.

On August 17, the same team visited two villages in the south -- Ansar and Zaoutar Al Gharbieh -- where the destruction is quite extensive. The team found that water and sanitation projects, food and non-food items, and hygiene and kitchen utensils are needed.

In Beirut, the MECC/ICNDR relief coordinator accompanied staff from ACT member Hungarian Interchurch Aid and a representative from the German Evangelical Church to the southern suburbs of Beirut where they saw extensive destruction. Relief aid from Hungarian Interchurch Aid was delivered to be distributed to returning families by the Islamic Health Organization.

The same team also visited an IDP center, Uruguay Public School, in Jemaizeh, Beirut, where 13 families who had come from other centers that have closed down had come. The team distributed food and non-food parcels to these families.

MECC/ICNDR relief workers distributed 400 food and non-food parcels to 400 IDP families in Mount Lebanon.

As of August 16, MECC/ICNDR-ACT had distributed 4,583 food and non-food parcels and 463 mattresses and had responded to 59 urgent requests from different IDP centers and organizations.

The NCA team is also revising the water and sanitation activity sector to adjust it to the present situation.

Church World Service is a member of Action by Churches Together,a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide.

Media Contact:
Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676;
Jan Dragin, 781-925-1526;

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