OCHA Media Factsheet on Lebanon - 21 Aug 2006

1,183 dead and 4,054 wounded (according to Lebanon's Higher Relief Council (HRC))

Approximately 140,000 returnees from Syria (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Governor of Homs (Syria))

Humanitarian Activities

Three humanitarian convoys dispatched today:

- Beirut to Masnaa -- 6 United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and 10 UNHCR trucks

- Beirut to Beiteddine -- 2 World Food Programme (WFP) trucks

- Beirut to Majdil Silim -- 7 WFP trucks

- Total convoys to date: 52 humanitarian convoys have been dispatched since 26 July 2006 (WFP)

Tyre humanitarian hub:

- Clean drinking water is priority concern -- 42 out of 70 villages have no water supply. Most villages' water tanks and pipe networks have been destroyed or damaged. No villages have electrical power to operate water pumps.

- Also immediate need for mattresses, blankets, kitchen sets, jerry cans, hygiene kits, soap, lanterns and baby formula in the heaviest damaged areas.

- Municipal authorities have requested construction materials, indicating that one-room units to be built by the community with support from humanitarian agencies.

Saida (Sidon) humanitarian hub:

- Entire region (except Marjayoun) heavily contaminated by unexploded ordnance (UXO); de-mining with take up to six months in the region of Nabatiye alone.

- Needs include bottled water for 200,000, as well as water storage tanks; supplementary food rations for 150,000; and household items and tents for 20,000.

- Electricity still being rationed, which is affecting water supply - situation unlikely to improve in short term.

460,000 people fed by WFP to date (2,621 metric tonnes of food), including 335,000 people in Lebanon and 125,000 Lebanese returnees from Syria.

UNICEF provided essential drugs for 70,000 people and carried out a vaccination campaign against measles for 13,000 children and against polio for 9,000.

UNICEF also delivered water for 135,000 (35,000 in Beirut, Aley, Metn and Chouf and 100,000 in Rmeish, Hasbayya and Tyre), as well as water kits for 80,000 throughout the country.

United Nations has facilitated entry of 135,000 MT of fuel for the Government and aid agencies into Lebanon between 2 and 17 August.

United Nations agencies have worked with the Government on a public awareness campaign on the dangers posed by UXO -- TV and radio spots aired, 100,000 leaflets and 10,000 posters distributed.

Lebanon Flash Appeal

To date, just under $88.9 million committed to the $165 million Flash Appeal for Lebanon -- 54 per cent of requirements. Additional $6.4 million in pledges.

For further information, please call: Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 917 892 1679; Kristen Knutson, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 9262; Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570. OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int.