CARE International in Lebanon’s COVID 19 Response for 5560 Lebanese and Syrian Refugee (60% Syrian and 40% Lebanese) households in Baalbek, The Beqaa Valley, Beirut and Mount Lebanon  Provision of FOOD/WASH parcels to the most vulnerable population affected by the Beirut explosion. The proposed intervention will provide life-saving assistance to the over 30,000 of most vulnerable beneficiaries in Lebanon (Beirut, Mount Lebanon, The Beqaa Valley and Baalbek.) from all nationalities, whose vulnerabilities have been heightened by the pandemic and socio-economic crisis.

Facing a global impoverishment due to a worsening livelihood landscape, most vulnerable groups are facing increased challenges to cover their minimum food needs and access necessary materials to prevent contaminations. The food security situation of 5560 households will be ensured through a one-off distribution of in-kind food packages as per the Food Security Working Group (FSWG) standards for one month. Each household receiving a food package will also receive disinfection or Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) kits to reduce the risk of contamination in a context where the COVID-19 outbreak has yet to be controlled. Hygiene education or sensitization will precede distribution and if this will not be possible due to inevitable circumstances dictated by prevailing situation, sensitization will be done through the provision of context-specific Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials.

Over the last three months, humanitarian actors, including CARE International in Lebanon (CIL), have been mobilized to provide emergency food assistance nationwide. However, gaps in assistance remain, actors are overwhelmed, and referral requests remain uncovered. In this context, CIL proposes to focus on covering needs referred through the inter-agency referral system (UNHCR/WFP) or through other organizations. In coordination with the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC), Emergency assistance will be secured to cover the needs of underserved cohorts or areas, targeting most at risks groups. 

Targeting and selection of beneficiaries for all the proposed sectors will be guided by the criteria provided in the ‘2020 Allocation Strategy Paper’ as the main guiding principles. In case of any variation, CIL will proactively communicate any variance and agree in advance with relevant sector leads.

Additionally, the proposed intervention will contribute to prevention and response to SEA in the Lebanese context in line with the PSEA Strategy for Lebanon developed by the PSEA network. Upon strong coordination with other actors, CIL will focus on community engagement, PSEA messaging, development of common tools based on best practices and capacity building for humanitarian actors, NGOS and local entities. The intervention will be closely coordinated with other organization with similar activities as well as the PSEA network with the objective to avoid overlapping and maximizing the efficiency of the project. 

The explosions that occurred in central Beirut on 04 August 2020 caused widespread damage and loss of life. At least 160 people were killed, more than 5,000 people were injured and about 300,000 people are estimated to have been displaced. This mass casualty accident, with thousands of wounded, exacerbated shortages and pressure experienced across the healthcare system of Lebanon. In addition, numerous affected households lost – along with their shelter - food stocks, cooking items and kitchen. Humanitarian response to Beirut explosions puts gender and protection in the center of response. CARE is proposing the Provision of food, hot meals and hygiene material to the most vulnerable affected by the blast (and particularly the elderly and those with physical disabilities) since it has been identified as a key priority by Emergency Operations Cell (EOC).