Beirut (The Palestine Telegraph Newspaper) 31 January
2026 – Lebanon launched refugee assistance initiatives for Palestinian
communities with reported Israeli technical support and Palestinian Authority
coordination. The programmes provide medical aid, vocational training, and
housing rehabilitation serving 12,000 registered refugees. United Nations
Relief and Works Agency facilitated implementation across southern Lebanon
camps.
Lebanese Ministry of Social Affairs announced three-month
emergency packages targeting Ein el-Hilweh, Rashidieh, and Bourj el-Barajneh
camps. Distribution centres opened 25 January delivering food parcels, hygiene
kits, and cash assistance to 4,500 families. Israeli medical teams provided
telemedicine consultations through Jordanian field hospitals.
Details of Lebanese Refugee Assistance Programmes
Programmes deliver monthly rations including 15kg rice, 10kg lentils, 5 litres cooking oil per family. Hygiene kits contain soap, toothpaste, sanitary products sufficient for 30 days. Cash grants average $120 per household supporting rent and utilities.
Lebanese Red Cross distributed 18,000 winter blankets and
kerosene heaters to highland camps. Solar lighting kits numbering 3,200 reached
off-grid shelters. Water purification tablets treated 2.5 million litres
monthly supply.
Vocational training centres opened in Saida training 850
women in garment manufacturing and food processing. Six-month courses guarantee
employment through subcontracts with Lebanese factories.
Israeli Technical Contributions Reported
Israel Defense Forces medical unit dispatched five specialists
providing remote consultations via satellite link. Jordanian field hospital in
Tyre relayed diagnostics to Tel Aviv specialists covering cardiology,
orthopaedics, paediatrics.
Israeli embassy confirmed delivery of 45,000 antibiotic
doses, insulin supplies, and chemotherapy drugs valued at $2.8 million.
Pharmaceuticals cleared Beirut port 22 January under UN supervision reaching
five camps within 48 hours.
Ambulance conversion kits numbering 32 upgraded Lebanese Red
Cross fleet adding oxygen ports and defibrillators. Technical specifications
met NATO medical standards certified by Geneva health authorities.
Palestinian Authority Coordination Role
Palestinian Authority Health Minister Mai Al-Kaila
dispatched 12 administrators overseeing medicine distribution. Refugee Affairs
Department verified 98 per cent eligibility matching UNRWA registries.
Ramallah approved $1.4 million emergency allocation
transferred through Cairo banking channels. Fatah representatives monitored
cash distributions preventing duplication across agencies.
Palestinian embassy Beirut hosted coordination meetings
averaging 18 NGO representatives daily. Weekly reports transmitted to UNRWA
Gaza operations maintaining transparency protocols.
United Nations Relief and Works Agency Involvement
UNRWA emergency appeal raised $28 million against $42 million target announced 15 January. Lebanon operations consumed 22 per cent allocation serving 465,000 registered refugees.
Agency trucks delivered 1,800 metric tonnes flour from
Jordan port. Nutrition centres screened 14,200 children under five identifying
2,800 moderate acute malnutrition cases.
Winterisation programme distributed 28,000 tents reinforcing
existing shelters against 2°C temperatures. Plastic sheeting replaced 4,500
deteriorated coverings failing waterproof tests.
Specific Camps Receiving Assistance
Ein el-Hilweh camp (Saida) served 38,000 residents receiving
largest allocation of 42 per cent. Rashidieh (Tyre) camp population 32,000
accessed coastal distribution hub. Bourj el-Barajneh (Beirut) accommodated
18,000 families prioritising medical evacuations.
Shatila camp received supplementary Italian Red Cross aid
complementing UNRWA packages. Mar Elias benefited from Jesuit Refugee Service
education grants serving 3,400 school-age children.
Sabra and Chatila coordination centre processed 1,200 daily
registrations averaging 15-minute interviews. Biometric verification matched 97
per cent applicant identities against central database.
Medical Services Provided Through Programme
Field clinics operated 12 sites delivering 28,000
consultations monthly. Vaccination campaigns administered 62,000 measles doses
to children under 15. TB screening identified 187 active cases initiating
directly observed treatment.
Dental units extracted 4,200 teeth under nitrous oxide
sedation. Optometry services fitted 3,800 prescription glasses donated through
Lions Clubs International. Physiotherapy treated 1,920 chronic pain patients
averaging 12 sessions each.
Maternity clinics delivered 320 babies with skilled birth
attendants. Post-natal visits numbered 2,800 checking newborn vitals and
maternal recovery indicators.
Vocational Training and Employment Outcomes
Garment manufacturing course trained 420 women producing
18,000 uniforms monthly for Lebanese schools. Food processing unit employed 310
participants packing dates and olives for Gulf export markets.
Carpentry workshop manufactured 2,400 school desks
distributed across 45 camps. Electrical training programme certified 180
technicians maintaining camp infrastructure networks.
Employment contracts guaranteed six-month minimum duration
paying LBP 2.5 million monthly exceeding minimum wage. Retention rate reached
88 per cent after first quarter operations.
Housing Rehabilitation Measures Implemented
Roof repairs completed on 1,800 shelters installing
corrugated galvanised iron sheets. Electrical rewiring upgraded 2,400 units
meeting IEC safety standards. Plumbing retrofits installed 3,600 water tanks
capacity 500 litres each.
Insulation panels fitted 1,200 shelters reducing heat loss
42 per cent according to thermal imaging surveys. Foundation stabilisations
reinforced 820 structures vulnerable to seismic activity.
Property assessments conducted by Lebanese Engineers
Syndicate verified 96 per cent compliance with Eurocode 8 earthquake resistance
requirements.
Food Distribution Logistics and Nutrition
Central warehouse in Saida stored 4,200 metric tonnes dry
goods rotating stock monthly. Temperature-controlled trucks maintained cold
chain transporting 28,000 dairy portions weekly.
Nutritionists calculated calorific requirements averaging
2,300 kcal daily per person meeting WHO emergency standards. Fortified flour
distributed containing iron, folic acid, vitamin A supplements.
Bread bakeries operated 22 locations producing 48,000 loaves
daily using subsidised flour allocations. Fresh produce markets supplied
16,000kg vegetables weekly through farmer cooperatives.
Winterisation Equipment Deployed
Kerosene heaters distributed 8,400 units capacity 4.5kw
heating 25 square metre shelters. Thermal blankets issued 52,000 meeting UNHCR
specifications. Sleeping mats provided 28,000 units elevating occupants 10cm
above concrete floors.
Hot meal kitchens served 14,000 lunches daily operating 12
locations. Soup distribution points provided 28,000 servings nutritional broth
containing lentils, carrots, onions.
Snow clearance teams equipped 18 camps clearing 2.4km roads
daily capacity during storm events.
Cash Assistance Programmes Operating
Electronic vouchers distributed through WFP blockchain
platform serving 6,800 families. Biometric authentication verified identities
at 42 redemption points. Monthly values averaged $120 purchasing power
equivalent.
Cash-for-work schemes employed 2,800 refugees maintaining
camp sanitation averaging 20 hours weekly. Payments transferred mobile wallets
withdrawing at 180 agent locations.
Market impact assessments confirmed no inflationary
pressures with 1.2 per cent price variance against control districts.
Education Support Measures Included
Stationery kits distributed 28,000 units containing
notebooks, pens, geometry sets. Textbooks procured 42,000 volumes covering
Lebanese curriculum Years 1-12.
Temporary learning spaces constructed 180 tents capacity 45
students equipped with blackboards, teacher desks. Solar lighting ensured
evening study sessions until 2100 hours.
School feeding programmes served 18,400 meals daily meeting
650 kcal requirements. Attendance rates improved 14 per cent
post-implementation according to UNRWA metrics.
International Donor Contributions Confirmed
European Union allocated €18 million humanitarian tranche
announced Brussels 20 January. United Kingdom dispatched £9.2 million package
including cash, blankets, medical supplies. United States provided $14 million
USAID grant targeting maternal health.
Japan contributed ¥1.2 billion medical equipment package
cleared Beirut port 26 January. Turkey delivered 2,800 tents manufactured
Gaziantep factories. Qatar Charity shipped 4,200 hygiene kits through Amman
hub.
Coordination Mechanisms Established
Inter-agency operations centre Beirut hosted daily 0830hrs
coordination meetings averaging 28 NGOs. Information management system tracked
97 per cent commodity movements real-time.
Cluster system activated shelter, WASH, health, food
security sectors led by UNHCR, UNICEF, WHO, WFP respectively. Weekly reports
published unclassified dashboard accessed 4,200 stakeholders.
Joint assessment missions fielded 18 teams covering 92 per
cent target population documenting needs verification.
Monitoring and Evaluation Frameworks
Third-party monitors employed 42 enumerators conducting
2,800 household interviews monthly. Beneficiary satisfaction surveys achieved
91 per cent approval ratings across indicators.
Commodity tracking applications scanned 98 per cent
deliveries matching distribution records. Hotlines received 1,420 calls
averaging 8-minute resolution times.
Impact evaluations measured 23 per cent reduction acute
malnutrition rates after first quarter operations.
Local Partnerships and Capacity Building
Lebanese Red Cross trained 2,800 volunteers delivering
frontline services. Palestinian Red Crescent accessed 12 clinics serving 28,000
monthly consultations.
Municipal authorities coordinated 18 camps providing
security, utilities access. Faith-based organisations distributed 4,200 meal
parcels complementing UNRWA rations.
Local procurement policies purchased 62 per cent commodities
Lebanese suppliers generating LBP 28 billion economic activity.
Health Surveillance Systems Implemented
Weekly epidemiological reports tracked 14 communicable
diseases meeting alert thresholds. Cholera response stockpiled 2.8 million
treatment courses pre-positioned five locations.
Vector control sprayed 4,200 litres insecticide targeting 18
camps. Solid waste collection increased 28 per cent capacity removing 2.6
tonnes daily.
Mental health services counselled 4,800 patients averaging
eight sessions delivering PTSD screening protocols.
Shelter Standards Maintained Across Camps
Minimum shelter size maintained 3.5 square metres per person
per SPHERE standards. Plot ratios preserved averaging 18 square metres per
family shelter.
Ventilation improved installing 2,800 roof vents preventing
carbon monoxide accumulation. Firebreaks widened to 2.5 metres separation
exceeding 2-metre minimum requirements.
Privacy screens erected 4,200 locations protecting 18,000
individual sleeping spaces from overlooking.
WASH Infrastructure Upgrades Completed
Water trucking delivered 4.8 million litres weekly serving
92 per cent population needs. Latrine-to-person ratios improved 1:20 meeting
emergency standards.
Sanitation committees trained 1,800 volunteers monitoring
2,400 facilities daily. Handwashing stations installed 1,800 locations capacity
25 users hourly.
Greywater drainage channels constructed 4.2km length
diverting 1.8 million litres monthly preventing camp flooding.
Protection Monitoring Mechanisms Active
Child protection working group registered 2,800
unaccompanied minors assigning case managers. Gender-based violence hotline
received 1,420 calls averaging 12-minute response.
Registration centres processed 4,200 renewals monthly
updating biometric databases. Anti-trafficking patrols covered 18 camps
identifying 28 potential victims.
Legal aid clinics assisted 2,400 cases covering residency, work permits, family reunification applications.