UNRWA Participates in Country-Level Emergency Preparedness and Response Activities

The Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon, Dorothee Klaus, participated today in a meeting under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment and the Disaster Risk Management unit with humanitarian partners from the UN, the NGO sector and representatives of the Government of Lebanon.

The meeting was the latest discussion between UN and the Government of Lebanon to coordinate emergency preparedness and response. Discussion focused on preparedness and the planned humanitarian response and included topics from shelter to health, food, water and fuel.

UNRWA’s emergency preparedness activities include the preparation of so-called ‘Designated Emergency Shelters’ (DES) across the country that have been identified to host displaced people in case of an emergency. The sites were chosen for their lower risk of conflict impact and capacity to accommodate large numbers of people. They have now been equipped with proper sanitation and hygiene facilities. They are all located in schools and educational facilities of UNRWA. The absence of DESs in the Beirut area is due to the absence of suitable UNRWA installations in this location. Displaced persons from the Beirut area seeking shelter with the Agency in the event of crisis will relocate to shelters either in the South, North or the Bekaa.

Preparedness measures also include the pre-positioning of medical, food, and fuel supplies, as well as providing chronic medications to patients in advance.

UNRWA is identifying core support partners for each DES to bolster service provision in case of need.

Yesterday, also as part of its preparations, UNRWA organized an internal workshop on emergency preparedness in Beirut, bringing together staff from across Lebanon that have signed up to serve in the management of the DESs. The event was led by the Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon and included also the UNRWA Chief Area Officers and Camp and Community Service Officers

“The aim is to review emergency response plans, reinforce humanitarian principles, and ensure understanding of functions and readiness among staff for any potential emergency situation.”, said Dorothee Klaus. “These efforts will help us to better support and safeguard refugees and ensure their safety and well-being during humanitarian crisis situations.”, she added.