Lebanon: ICRC helps 5,600 people displaced by Tripoli violence
16-04-2014 News Release 14/61
Beirut (ICRC) – Recurring fighting in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, has driven thousands of people from their homes to seek shelter in safer areas of the city. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) distributed food and other essentials to 5,600 of them between 14 and 16 April.
Tripoli. Blankets were delivered to the displaced during the distribution of essential items.
/ CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / L. Habib
"As fighting has dragged on sporadically in some parts of the city, these people have been repeatedly displaced," said Frédéric Dumont, in charge of the ICRC's activities promoting economic security in Lebanon. "Each time they've had to move, they've lost more of their property and become more vulnerable to all forms of suffering."
ICRC and Lebanese Red Cross personnel distributed food, hygiene items and blankets to inhabitants of impoverished Jabal Mohsen, Tebbaneh, Mankoubin and Kobbeh, many of whom had to quickly flee their homes located on the front lines between the densely populated neighbourhoods.
Tripoli. A displaced resident in Kobbeh carrying the items he received from the ICRC.
/ CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / S. Cotton
The latest round of fighting, which was among the fiercest and longest that has so far occurred, forced displaced people to stay with relatives or other host families for several weeks. "Prior to the aid distribution, Lebanese Red Cross volunteers teamed up with the ICRC to assess what the displaced people needed most urgently," said Marwan Aawar, head of the Disaster Management Unit at the Lebanese Red Cross.
The ICRC has repeatedly expressed concern about the humanitarian consequences of the violence in Tripoli, calling on all involved to safeguard human life and to show respect for the dignity of all persons. It has also called on all sides to immediately allow all injured persons to go to hospital in safety.
The ICRC stands ready to offer further assistance for people affected by the violence, and provide hospitals in Tripoli with medical supplies if needed.
For further information, please contact:
Samar El Kadi, ICRC Beirut, tel: 70 153928