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UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
On July 24, Secretary Rice committed to provide up to $30 million in response to humanitarian operations in Lebanon, up to $20 million of which will come from USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA). On July 26, USAID/OFDA contributed $7 million toward the U.N. Flash Appeal for Lebanon to WFP, UNJLC, UNICEF, and OCHA. This is in addition to more than $247,000 for emergency relief supplies, including transport.
As of July 30, the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) has received proposals from Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Mercy Corps and anticipates that proposals from IMC and World Vision will arrive soon. USAID’s Office of Food for Peace will likely contribute $1 million to support WFP.
On July 26, State/PRM contributed $4.4 million to ICRC and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) On July 25, the U.S. Military airlifted to Beirut two health kits, each of which contains medicines, intravenous fluids, reusable equipment, and other medical supplies to treat 10,000 people for three months. A third kit arrived in Beirut on July 26. USAID is moving an additional seven emergency health kits, 1,000 tarps and 20,000 blankets from Cyprus to Lebanon. The supplies will be distributed to NGOs working in the area.
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USAID-provided health kits destined for Beirut, Lebanon are moved through customs after arrival in Larnaca, Cyprus. |
Secretary of State Rice authorized $30 million in immediate humanitarian assistance to victims of the conflict in Lebanon. We remain deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Lebanon and this response to the appeal from the United Nations and other organizations will help address some of the most pressing needs of conflict victims. To meet the most urgent needs, the United States is dispatching two large-scale medical deliveries that will arrive in Lebanon on July 25. Each of these deliveries contains enough medicine and supplies to meet the basic medical needs of 10,000 people for a three month period. The U.S. will also begin delivering other direct U.S. assistance to Lebanon, including plastic sheeting and blankets, starting July 25. We will continue to do all that we can to support the Government of Lebanon as it seeks to address the needs of its people.
Photo gallery of USAID assistance to Lebanon |
PUBLIC DONATION INFORMATION
The most effective way people can assist relief efforts is by making cash contributions to humanitarian organizations that are conducting relief operations. A list of humanitarian organizations that are accepting cash donations for the complex emergency in Lebanon can be found at www.interaction.org. Information on organizations responding to the humanitarian situation in Lebanon may be available at www.reliefweb.org.
USAID encourages cash donations because they allow aid professionals to procure the exact items needed, reduce the burden on scarce resources (such as transportation routes, staff time, warehouse space, etc), can be transferred very quickly and without transportation costs, support the economy of the disaster-stricken region, and ensure culturally, dietary, and environmentally appropriate assistance. More information can be found at:
- USAID: www.usaid.gov – Keyword: Donations
- The Center for International Disaster Information: www.cidi.org or (703) 276-1914
- Information on relief activities of the humanitarian community can be found at www.reliefweb.int
Also see the following for donation information:
- For continually updated information on the situation, including input from all donors and NGOs, etc, please see this Web page that will present notes from regular coordination meetings happening in Lebanon and Cyprus: http://www.unjlc.org/lebanon/bulletins/sitrep_0803
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MORE INFORMATION ON USAID ASSISTANCE TO LEBANON |
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