Lebanon Joint Response 2020 On 4 August 2020, a massive warehouse exploded in Beirut harbor, triggering a shockwave that damaged several major hospitals, numerous businesses and houses in the Greater Beirut area, leaving more than 300,000 people homeless and livelihoods threatened (UNOCHA). The explosion hits Lebanon as it faces a multi-faceted crisis, featuring economic contraction, increasing poverty, inflation and exposure to COVID-19. The pressure on already overwhelmed hospitals and social tensions have compounded needs among Lebanese people as well as refugees. The blast has directly affected the source of income of many households already hit by COVID-19 lockdown measures. Access to food is a concern as Lebanon is heavily dependent on imports from the port. WV and partner Dar Al Amal (DAA) aim to respond to immediate needs of most vulnerable girls, women, boys and men of host and refugee communities affected by the Beirut explosion through an integrated project. 
WV distributes in-kind food parcels to vulnerable households so that they are able to meet the Survival Minimum Expenditure Basket (SMEB). This is the preferred modality due to the current economic situation coupled with temporary unavailability of products in markets nearby affected HHs. Food parcels are designed in alignment with FS standards, covering most of the energy needs for HH of 5 members over 1 month. Each HH receives one parcel. Vulnerable HH have been pre-identified in districts affected by the blast in alignment with vulnerability criteria set by the FS sector. 
WV and DAA distribute personal hygiene kits to 1,000 HHs in order to protect affected HHs from COVID-19 spread and transmission, and reach 5,000 people through hygiene promotion and awareness raising, incl. prevention of COVID-19. The originally planned activity of water storage tanks distribution has been replaced by extra food parcels, as the needs for water trucking were minimal, as opposed to the needs for direct food assistance.  
WV and DAA support the psychological wellbeing of affected HHs, providing PFA, either face to face or remotely, to children and their caregivers affected by the explosion. CP/PSS activity sheets and PSS kits with age appropriate sessions and activities are distributed to ensure children receive appropriate psychosocial care. Caregivers and community groups receive CP and MHPSS messages and feedback on their progress through WhatsApp. After capacity-building, WV works along with DAA to provide remote PSS to caregivers through group calls, which are set up based on National and WV guidance note. Through coordination with other organizations, WV and DAA refer cases in need of specialized services and provide emergency cash assistance for transportation to these services. WV and DAA prioritize reaching HHs who have been affected by the explosion. WVI has set criteria to identify and reach the most vulnerable children, including orphans, refugee/IDP children as well as children under the care of vulnerable adults. WV closely coordinates with local organizations, partners, and municipalities to facilitate its outreach process. WV also targets children and/or HHs reaching its hotline number, making sure their residency area and relevancy of their needed services. For food distributions, WV assesses HHs based on their vulnerability. These mainly include HHs located near to the site of the blast which contain elderly, disabled, children, pregnant or lactating women. In order to make sure that non-Lebanese are not excluded from beneficiaries due to a bias within lists shared by various local entities, WV has included a possibility of self-referral.