Lebanon: Emergency Response Weekly Operational Update - SitRep #5

Monday, October 21st - Sunday, October 27th

Crisis Context: Escalating violence in Lebanon, including ongoing airstrikes, has led to mass displacements, with over 1.2 million people displaced and critical infrastructure, such as health facilities, severely impacted.

Aid Distribution: Amel provided essential items like hygiene kits, food parcels, and thermal blankets across 151 collective shelters, addressing immediate needs for thousands of displaced individuals.

Health & Protection Support: Over 1,400 health consultations and psycho-social support services were offered, along with extensive psychological first aid, benefiting nearly 9,500 people since late September.

Educational and Recreational Activities: Amel organized sessions and activities for over 2,800 displaced children this week, promoting emotional well-being and educational support amidst the crisis.

In addition to the figures and interventions reported in this Situation Report (SITREP), Amel Association International (Amel) continues to ensure the continuity of its livelihood, protection, health, food security, and education activities whenever and wherever possible. The organization reaches thousands of individuals on a monthly basis. If you would like to receive our regular SITREP, please send an email to: correspondence@amel.org.

CONTEXT

A month after the escalation of violence in Lebanon began, Israeli airstrikes continue to target densely populated areas, including the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern areas, affecting numerous villages and cities. The UNESCO-protected city of Tyre has faced a major evacuation order, issued by Israel on Wednesday, October 23, just before being targeted by heavy bombardment, leading to significant displacement. It is noteworthy that the city of Hasbaya also experienced airstrikes, including a strike on a compound housing journalists, resulting in the deaths of three journalists who had evacuated Marjayoun after receiving Israeli evacuation notices.

Evacuations and intense bombardments are ongoing in Beirut's southern suburbs, with the conflict expanding to new areas, including a new part of southern Beirut, Ouzai. Notably, an airstrike on October 21 near one of Rafic Hariri University Hospital's entrances resulted in 18 fatalities and injured 60 others.
Additionally, on October 22, a daytime strike targeted a residential building in Tayyouneh, causing it to completely collapse. Health facilities remain vulnerable, with 167 paramedics killed and 275 injured and seven ambulances damaged since September 23.

According to Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health, the death toll has reached 2,593, with 12,119 injured since October 8. Additionally, 1,200,000 people have been displaced, with 191,692 seeking refuge in 1,096 collective shelters, of which 928 have reached capacity. Public spaces like the Corniche and Martyrs' Square still host a large number of displaced individuals, many of whom face increasingly difficult conditions as winter approaches.

Amidst this crisis, Amel remains committed to its humanitarian response, focusing on delivering basic assistance, primary health services, and protection support to those affected by the conflict, including internally displaced persons. In parallel, Amel emphasizes a coordinated and complementary response, collaborating with other partners through relevant government and United Nations-led structures.