Up to 1.4 million people—nearly a quarter of Lebanon’s population—are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, with approximately 870,000 Lebanese and Syrian nationals internally displaced. Since being officially activated on 8 October, the Logistics Cluster in Lebanon has worked to set up transport and storage common services to meet partners’ logistical needs to respond to the escalating humanitarian crisis, and help deliver lifesaving items to those in desperate need.
Over the last month, the Logistics Cluster – led by the World Food Programme (WFP) – has coordinated logistical support with a central coordination and information management cell in Beirut. This cell is vital for providing common logistical services at no cost, ensuring efficient dispatch of assistance where it is most needed, and minimizing duplication of efforts.
Since its activation, the Logistics Cluster has prioritized scaling up common services for the humanitarian logistics community. Recognizing the growing demands, the Logistics Cluster partnered with the Logistics Emergency Team (LET) and UPS, which generously donated additional warehouse space in Beirut. This collaboration, accommodating up to 1,700 additional pallets, has increased to 4,500 m3 the capacity to store and manage essential items like food, medical supplies, and shelter materials for partners.
With the WFP fleet, the Logistics Cluster has also initiated convoys to hard-to-reach areas across Lebanon. These convoys have navigated challenging road and security conditions to deliver relief items to conflict-impacted areas such as Hasbaya, Tyre, and Rmaych. Each convoy has transported supplies provided by partners across sectors like Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), Health, Shelter, and Food Security.
Addressing security concerns, WFP and the Logistics Cluster in Lebanon are coordinating closely with the Humanitarian Notifications Operations Coordination Center (H-NOCC). This centre, comprising members like the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the United Nations Department for Safety and Security (UNDSS), plays a crucial role in aligning convoy movements with local security conditions, to better mitigate risks and ensure our colleagues, partners, assets and operations are safe.
“Despite the rapid response, the scale and evolving nature of the crisis presents critical challenges like security incidents and issues accessing roads to people in heavily affected areas, impacting partners’ ability to get lifesaving assistance to those who need it. The need for precise coordination and adaptable planning is absolutely critical to ensure urgent support to the increasing number of displaced people inside Lebanon” says Valentina Signori, Logistics Cluster Coordinator.
As the response moves into its second month, the Logistics Cluster aims to develop a sustainable and adaptable convoy schedule that can adjust to ongoing conflict conditions. By maintaining close coordination through various channels, the Logistics Cluster will continue to support partners, adapting to the crisis's demands.
“The goal is to continue expanding convoy capacities to hard-to-reach areas, with a systematic approach for convoy destinations based on inter-sectoral geographic priorities” explains Francesco Cornaro, WFP Lebanon Head of Supply Chain.
For more information visit the Lebanon Logistics Cluster webpage.