Lebanon

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Read all about our work in the current Lebanese - Israel crisis in the "Emergency" section.

Handicap International has worked in Lebanon for over a decade, supporting local associations (capacity building of local staff, management and financial support) that work in the fields of rehabilitation and psychosocial support. These longstanding relationships have allowed Handicap International to respond swiftly to the devastation left by the 2006 conflict between Lebanon and Israel.

CONTEXT
Longstanding conflict and economic hardship in Lebanon continue to disproportionately disadvantage the countries most vulnerable populations.

The 1975-1991 civil war seriously damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure. In 2002, the Government began an economic austerity programme to reduce the ballooning national debt, meaning that the State is currently unable to meet its commitments, especially in social fields. From 2002 to 2004, Lebanon fell from 75th to 80th position in the UN Human Development Index.

The economic crisis has had a particularly strong impact on the living conditions of Palestinian refugees. At the end of 2002, more than 387,000 Palestinian refugees were registered in Lebanon. 56% of them lived in refugee camps. Moreover, they are not authorised to work in 70 or so trades and professions and do not have access to all Lebanese public services.

The July-August 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict brought massive displacement of civilians within Lebanon and extensive damage to the countries infrastructure. The extensive use of cluster bombs during the conflict has left hundreds of thousands of unexploded cluster munitions, posing a real and persistent danger to civilians returning to their homes and carrying out their daily livelihood activities.

BACKGROUND
Handicap International has been active in Lebanon since 1992. In recent years, we have been working with

• The Nabatiye Hospital rehabilitation unit: cares for a large portion of the people injured during the 2006 conflict.
• Lebanese Union for the Physically Disabled (LUPD): helping to support disabled people and people injured during 2006 war.
• Rainbow: a local organization Handicap International works with in Bekaa to improve rehabilitation services offered to disabled people in the area.
• Samidoun: ran 31 reception centres in schools, churches and mosques in Beirut which were taking in 12,000 displaced people and where Handicap International was coordinating psychological support activities. As displaced people have returned home the psychological support activities have been transferred to the southern suburbs of Beirut and southern Lebanon.
• Lebanese Ministry of Social Services: Worked with Handicap International and other international agencies to coordinate aid following the recent conflict.
• Arc-en-Ciel: workshop for the production of wheelchairs, setting up of a community-based rehabilitation project and a rehabilitation centre in Akkar.
• Najdeh Association: income-generating activities
• The Lebanese University: technical and pedagogical support for the creation of academic training in occupational therapy
• Sesobel: training in basic occupational therapy techniques for physiotherapists and the occupational therapy section in the centre
• The Ghassan Kanafani Cultural Foundation (GKCF) kindergarten in Mar Elias camp: This structure is for children with multiple disabilities and provides them with medical care and education.
  

ACTIVITIES

Recent and Ongoing Emergency Activities:

• Removing Cluster Munitions. To deal with the dangers represented by hundreds of thousands of unexploded cluster bombs following the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, Handicap International has deployed an assessment team, started training Lebanese mine clearance teams and is now starting to clear up affected zones.
• Mobility Aid. Handicap International has organised the shipment of mobility aids, such as 100 wheelchairs, to meet the specific needs those injured and displaced during the 2006 conflict.
• Rehabilitation Support. Handicap International is currently working with the rehabilitation department of the Nabatiye hospital, which cares for a large majority of the people injured during the conflict.
• Surgery for Victims. Handicap International established a financial system to allow the most vulnerable victims in Nabatiye hospital to benefit from surgery.
• Supplies to Vulnerable Refugees. Since the truce, Handicap International and its partners dealt with the large-scale return of refugees to their homes by organising the distribution of over 20 tonnes of essential supplies to isolated areas.
• Winter Kits are currently being distributed to over 1,000 families in Southern Lebanon.
• Psychological Support. From the beginning of the crisis until the cease fire on 14 August, the organisation focused on coordinating aid and providing psychological support to displaced people that had sought refuge in Beirut. These activities will carry on until the end of April 2007.

Extended Activities

• Inclusive Education: Support GKCF Habilitation School for children with multiple disabilities in the camp of Mar Elias.
• Supporting Local Associations: Support the new Lebanese Occupational Therapist Association.
• Rehabilitation Program: Create a new centre for physically disabled people in the Beqaa’s region and launch a community-based rehabilitation programme (recruitment, training and implementing outreach activities in 8 villages).
• Mental Health: Launch a pilot project in mental health for Palestinian refugee children.

CONTACTS
The Lebanese programme is run from our Middle East Regional Office
P.O. Box 9767
Amman 11191.
Jordan
Tel: + 962 (0) 6 46 28 513
E-mail: himideast2@link.net.jo