Inter-Agency Standing Comittee - Resources

On 15 March, Lebanon’s Prime Minister announced a medical state of emergency over the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, shutting down almost all public and private institutions. The pandemic hits Lebanon at a time where the country is already facing an unprecedented economic crisis, impairing the capacities of already vulnerable Lebanese and refugees to subsist and heightening the risks of social instability. The COVID-19 outbreak is already leading to worryingly growing community tensions as fears of further outbreak are fuelling underlying tensions and waves of panic are spreading. Tensions are centred around stigmatization against refugees in cases of infection in informal settlements and overcrowded areas. The outbreak has also fuelled intra-Lebanese tensions. Divisions are visible online, coupled with spreading of misinformation and fake news.

What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is a disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus. ‘CO’ stands for corona, ‘VI’ for virus, and ‘D’ for disease.

As the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread in an unpredictable manner it presents a growing risk to all stakeholders involved in food assistance, particularly during food distributions.

This briefing note summarizes key mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) considerations in relation to the
2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The brief was last updated February 2020.

People affected by humanitarian crises, particularly those displaced and/or living in camps and camp-like settings,
are often faced with specific challenges and vulnerabilities that must be taken into consideration when planning for
readiness and response operations for the COVID-19 outbreak ..