The $25 million Lebanon Relief Fund will be allocated over two years to assist the United Nations, the Red Cross Movement, other multilateral organizations and non governmental organizations to provide for water and sanitation, shelter, protection, medical facilities and repair to essential infrastructure in Lebanon. The Fund is in addition to the $5.5 million that CIDA has already provided to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations to meet the humanitarian needs of civilians affected by the conflict.

To date, through the Lebanon Relief Fund, the following projects will be funded:

Project Title: Appeal for Lebanon
Partner: International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
CIDA Grant: $3,000,000

The ICRC’s key priority remains assisting (particularly with water, food, medicines, the restoration of power and landmine awareness) the civilian population in villages and ensuring that all wounded are evacuated and all bodies recovered, especially from collapsed buildings that were inaccessible during the fighting. The ICRC has already assisted 31,000 families, delivered 50,000 litres of fuel to run vital civilian infrastructure, and shipped over 2,000 tonnes of relief supplies.

Project Title: International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) in Lebanon
Partner: Lebanese Red Cross Society
CIDA Grant: $500,000

Assistance to the IFRC will help the Lebanese Red Cross respond to the needs of returning refugees and displaced persons with blood banks, warehousing and distribution of relief items, and disaster management.

Project Title: Emergency Assistance and Support to Children, Youth, and Families Affected by the Conflict in Lebanon
Partner: Save the Children Canada
CIDA Grant: $500,000

The three main components of the Save the Children proposal are health care (the provision of essential drugs as well as landmine awareness), the provision of essential support kits to families, and the provision of safe place spaces, psychosocial support and education to children. As many as 5,800 children and their families in south Lebanon (Tyre and Nabatiya) will benefit. Key partners will include the Higher Council for Childhood and the Ministry of Public Health.

Project Title: Lebanon Humanitarian Response Program
Partner: World Vision Canada
CIDA Grant: $500,000

World Vision will focus on potable water, sanitation and hygiene for 8,5000 individuals in southern Beirut and a corridor between Marjayon and Rmaysh in southern Lebanon. Improved household and water supplies will enable the beneficiaries to meet basic personal needs, provide comfort and protection from health hazards, which is necessary for daily survival and essential in stabilizing families and communities, and will also improve their health and ability to cope with this situation.

Project Title: Mine Action in Lebanon
Partner: United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) Voluntary Trust Fund
CIDA Grant: $1.25 million

Project Title: The Lebanese Landmine Resource Centre
Partner: Canadian International Demining Corps
CIDA Contribution: $209,340

The recent conflict in Lebanon seriously aggravated an existing land mine and other unexploded ordnance problem. Over 300 areas are known to be contaminated by cluster munitions and other unexploded ordnance.

In response to the UN Framework for Mine Action and Rapid Response, Canada will provide $1.25 million to the UNMAS Voluntary Trust Fund for clearing land mines in Lebanon.

To further reduce casualties, a contribution of $209,340 is being made to the Canadian International Demining Corps to assist the Lebanese Landmine Resource Centre (LMRC) to provide community-based mine risk education in collaboration with the Lebanese government and other relief organizations.

Project Title: Support to United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Flash Appeal for Lebanon
Partner: UNRWA
CIDA Grant: $500,000

As a result of the conflict that affected Lebanon in July and August of 2006, UNRWA issued an appeal for funds to assist Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. The emergency assistance program in Lebanon includes of food aid, shelters, and essential materials (mattresses, blankets, cooking equipment, etc.), repair and maintenance of water purification systems, as well as health services. The program also provides administrative support, and the security necessary to ensure safe operation.

Project Title: Canada Fund for Local Initiatives
Partner: none (administered by the Canadian Embassy in Beirut)
CIDA contribution: $825,000

By increasing its 2006 funding allocation to the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives by $825,000 to a total of $1,000,000, CIDA provides support to local organizations to help re-establish the livelihood of the most vulnerable populations, including youth, women and children.

• $1.75 million to the World Food Programme
  • $1 million will provide emergency food assistance to people affected by the conflict in Lebanon.
  • $750,000 will contribute to the logistics operations for the Lebanon Crisis.
• $1.5 million to UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO)
  • $750,000 to UNICEF and WHO for provision of primary health care services.
  • $750,000 to UNICEF for the provision of adequate water and sanitation support to southern areas of the country affected by the conflict.
• $1 million for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to provide emergency assistance to internally displaced persons and refugees in Lebanon and neighbouring countries.
• $500,000 for the establishment of United Nations' Joint Logistics Centre to provide logistics coordination and support for the humanitarian activities in Lebanon.
• $500,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in response to its preliminary appeal and will be used to help to ease the plight of families in Lebanon who had been displaced by the fighting or trapped in villages isolated by destroyed road networks.
• $250,000 to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for coordinating the humanitarian response.

Information:
Media Relations Office
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Telephone: (819) 953-6534
E-mail: info@acdi-cida.gc.ca
www.cida.gc.ca