The
Lebanese Red Cross (LRC) has been, since 1995 and by governmental
mandate, the most important provider of first aid and medical
ambulance services in the country. During the month-long hostilities
which devastated Lebanon between mid-July and mid-August, it
faced its biggest challenge ever: responding to the emergency
needs of a population of nearly four million people, of whom
nearly 800,000 fled to other parts of Lebanon and thus became
internally displaced. Nearly 200,000 people fled to Syria.
Some 5,000 LRC volunteers and all the staff were immediately
mobilized. They delivered key services in emergency medical
help, first aid, rescue and evacuation, primary health care,
relief distribution, and blood banks with extraordinary courage
and often, risking their own lives to do so.
Because of the protection the Red Cross emblem provides under
the Geneva Conventions to ambulance and medical crews, volunteers
were also assigned the task of evacuating the dead –a
first for the Lebanese Red Cross – since most government
or civil society organizations were unable to access the bombed
zones. It was difficult to send relief items and medical supplies,
notably to the south and the Baka’a valley in the east,
and especially without all-terrain vehicles.
In addition, several ambulances were hit by Israeli shelling
and one Lebanese Red Cross volunteer was killed while trying
to evacuate injured people.
After the conflict ended, efforts turned to reconstruction and
towards strengthening the capacities and resources of the Lebanese
Red Cross. Its strengths and weaknesses were assessed, and two
major sectors were identified as needing support: vehicles as
well as warehousing and logistics. Through its appeal, the International
Federation is providing essential support in both areas.
During the hostilities, the LRC mobilized 210 vehicles from
its ageing ambulance fleet. Most were old and the logistical
problems posed by destroyed roads and bridges were massive.
The Lebanese Red Cross asked for emergency assistance and for
vehicles. Ambulances and trucks were quickly provided by the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Federation
and a number of National Societies, including the Qatar and
Kuwait Red Crescent Societies.
Donations of vehicles continued after the cessation of hostilities.
The Qatar Red Crescent alone donated 24 vehicles in October,
including all-terrain vehicles and ambulances, the Saudi Red
Crescent donated five ambulances and other vehicles (one for
the youth section), and the Kuwait Red Crescent provided eight
additional vehicles. As a result, the Lebanese Red Cross was
able to renew part of its fleet and replace vehicles damaged
during the conflict.
“The population of Lebanon depends on the Lebanese Red
Cross to deliver effective and professional emergency medical
services. The Red Cross covers 80 per cent of all the ambulance
missions in Lebanon, on average 450 missions per day,”
notes Knut Kaspersen, the International Federation’s head
of delegation in Beirut. “It is thus important for the
Federation to focus its assistance where it is most needed…
a modern and well-maintained fleet is clearly essential.”
As tonnes of emergency relief arrived during the fighting, the
Lebanese Red Cross realized its warehouse capacity was insufficient
to store relief assistance, medical items, vehicles and other
goods.
Zoran Curkovski, Federation logistics delegate in Beirut, says
storage space was filled well beyond capacity. “The Lebanese
Red Cross received more than 1,000 metric tonnes of relief goods
during July and August, with a warehousing capacity of only
60 square metres,” he says.
“In addition to assisting the Lebanese Red Cross in finding
an appropriate warehouse, we also worked on establishing logistics
management systems, procedures and training.” Several
private sector companies also provided free warehousing and
the Qatar Red Crescent agreed to provide fuel for six months
as part of the ICRC appeal.
As a result of these assessments, the decision was taken to
improve the logistical capacity of the Lebanese Red Cross, especially
since continuing tensions in the region point to the importance
of making sure a contingency plan is in place to enable the
LRC to respond adequately to any future emergencies.
Effective logistics services are crucial to the ability of the
LRC to handle the influx of relief goods, their storage and
distribution, as well as ensure the management of its fleet,
which includes ambulances, trucks, mini-buses and cars.
The International Federation, through the emergency appeal it
launched on behalf of the Lebanese Red Cross in July 2006, and
revised in August, is supporting activities to develop systems
and procedures to ensure proper stock, warehouse and fleet management
as well as the complete renewal of the LRC fleet.
“The Federation’s support for the Lebanese Red Cross
has always focused on capacity building and our long-term work
really paid off during the hostilities,” says Knut Kaspersen.
“We are currently providing much-needed vehicles and logistics
training to the Lebanese Red Cross and continuing this work
is necessary to be prepared for possible future crises.”
In addition, current programmes include training for volunteers
and staff in first aid and psychological support in order to
help displaced families, as well as stress management for LRC
volunteers and staff.
Capacity building measures also encompass strengthening social
and health services, information and communications. Today,
more than 1,000 Lebanese Red Cross youth volunteers continue
to distribute relief assistance to those displaced families
who still have no home of their own or means of subsistence.
Portrait of a volunteer
A few hours before the UN declared the cessation of hostilities
in Lebanon on 13 August, 2006, Hussein Salam, 25, a Lebanese
Red Cross volunteer since 2001 and a member of one of its medical
teams, decided to go home - a block away. He and 34 other volunteers
had spent 35 days at Al-Mreijeh Emergency centre - 104, a small
apartment where they slept, cooked, ate, and from where they
were sent out to save lives and pull dead bodies out of the
rubble.
This busy centre is located in the southern outskirt of Beirut
(population: approximately 750,000), just two blocks from Hizbullah’s
headquarters, where houses were levelled by Israeli bombing.
Hussein’s house was the last one on that block. Expecting
the worst when hostilities began, his family had fled to the
mountains above Beirut and he was busy carrying out Red Cross
emergency missions.
Hussein decided to go home to wash his clothes. Five stories
out of the seven-story building had disappeared. His home was
also gone.
“I was happy that my family was safe. The apartment can
always be rebuilt,” said Hussein with a faint smile on
his baby-face. “I called my family and explained what
happened.” Carrying his clothes in a bag, Hussein went
back to Centre 104 and kept on providing assistance to victims
in the southern suburbs of Beirut for a month. His family returned
to Beirut later to rent another apartment and start rebuilding.
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Some
5,000 LRC volunteers and all the staff were immediately
mobilized. They delivered key services in emergency medical
help, first aid, rescue and evacuation. (p15004)
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The
Lebanese Red Cross visited local communities to assess
their needs and distributed hygiene articles. The Red
Cross was working in collaboration with two NGOs, who
are providing food and medical visits. (p15001)
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As
tonnes of emergency relief arrived during the fighting,
the Lebanese Red Cross realized its warehouse capacity
was insufficient to store relief assistance, medical items,
vehicles and other goods. Here a Lebanese Red Cross volunteer
inspects a commercial warehouse where Red Cross relief
items are being temporarily stored. (p-LBN0017) (photo
by Marko Kokic, ICRC)
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Lebanese
Red Cross volunteers in action shifting humanitarian aid.
One thousand metric tonnes of supplies have been donated
by Red Crescent Societies in neighbouring countries. (p14637)
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