In line with the decisions of the Lebanon Recovery Fund (LRF) Steering Committee, all participating UN agencies . . . Read More
The Israeli July-August 2006 offensive on Lebanon resulted in large scale destruction on several fronts. This was caused not only by the Israeli military offensive but also by the military blockade imposed by air, land and sea on Lebanon, which lasted for several weeks beyond the formal cessation of hostilities of 14 August 2006.
The direct impact of Israel’s bombardments were devastating with approximately one million people temporarily displaced, 1200 people killed, of whom nearly one-third were children; and 4,400 people injured, 15% of which permanently. More than one million unexploded cluster sub-munitions, most of them dropped by Israel in the last 72 hours of the war, contaminates large swathes of land in the south constituting a continuous threat to lives and a deprivation of livelihoods.
The scale of physical destruction of civilian infrastructure was extensive with more than 700 schools, 16 hospitals and 65 outpatient clinics; 97 bridges and 151 sections of road; 850 commercial enterprises in the manufacturing and service sectors; the Rafic Hariri international airport; the Jiyyeh Power Plant, totally or partially destroyed. This compounded to a 15,000 ton oil spill that contaminated the Lebanese coast, 20,000 tons of fuel burned for 20 consecutive days; and the Ouzai fisherman’s wharf and market totally destroyed
The rate of unemployment has doubled and stands in excess of 20%, and in some areas of the country and in some economic sectors, unemployment reaches even higher, to 30% and more. There has been an exacerbation of the regional disparities in socio-economic indicators that existed prior to the war, since poverty was already concentrated in the same areas which were impacted by the war directly and indirectly.
Against this backdrop, the Government of Lebanon and its development partners conducted a series of needs assessments and estimated the overall cost of the recovery and reconstruction efforts. These estimations were compiled in a document known as the Stockholm document presented at the Stockholm donor Conference held in August 2006.
The conference which was dedicated to early recovery and humanitarian needs in Lebanon resulting from the July 2006 hostilities was organized in close cooperation between the Government of Lebanon and the United Nations Resident Coordinator.
A special fund managed by UNDP, known as the Lebanon Recovery Fund (LRF) was established as an additional option for donors to channel their contributions in support of Lebanon’s recovery. This fund was established particularly for international donors who did not previously have representations or ongoing assistance programmes in Lebanon, but were very familiar with the UN system of accountability and reporting.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the
administrative agent for the Lebanon Recovery Fund, on behalf of the
United Nations Development Group (UNDG), and is accountable for its
administration in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations, including
reporting and audit requirements. In addition, this fund has a Steering
Committee and specific Terms of Reference and Rules of Procedure. It is
a transparent and flexible channel, with quick disbursement mechanisms.