Summary: State Party Lebanon ratified the convention on 5 November 2010, becoming the first State Party from the Middle East. Lebanon has expressed its desire to amend existing legislation to enforce the convention’s provisions. It has participated in every meeting of the convention and hosted the convention’s Second Meeting of States Parties in Beirut in September 2011. Lebanon was a lead sponsor on a UN resolution on the convention in December 2015. It has condemned new use of cluster munitions and elaborated its views on a number of important issues relating to the interpretation and implementation of the convention. Lebanon reports that it has never used, produced, or stockpiled cluster munitions. Cluster munitions were used in the past in Lebanon, most recently by Israel in 2006.

Policy

The Republic of Lebanon signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 3 December 2008, ratified on 5 November 2010, and the convention entered into force for the country on 1 May 2011.

Following a legislative review, Lebanon in September 2012 announced its desire to amend existing legislation to ensure implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.[1] In April 2013, it stated that a final report with recommendations on national measures had been drafted for circulation to stakeholders.[2]

Lebanon submitted its initial Article 7 transparency report for the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 27 October 2011 and provided annual updated reports since then, most recently in March 2016.[3]

Lebanon participated throughout the Oslo Process that created the Convention on Cluster Munitions and advocated forcefully for humanitarian protection to be accorded first priority in the development of the convention’s provisions.[4] It hosted a regional conference on cluster munitions in Beirut from 11–12 November 2008 to draw attention to the convention and its Oslo Signing Conference.

Lebanon hosted the convention’s Second Meeting of States Parties in Beirut on 12–16 September 2011.[5] Lebanon’s President General Michel Sleiman addressed the meeting’s opening ceremony with a statement that condemned the use of cluster munitions. Lebanon’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Adnan Mansour, served as president of the Second Meeting of States Parties with the assistance of Lebanon’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Najla Riachi Assaker.

Lebanon continues to play an active role in the work of the convention. From September 2014 until September 2015, it served as co-coordinator of the convention’s work on the general status and operation of the convention together with the Netherlands. In this role, Lebanon played a central role in helping to establish an implementation support unit (ISU) for the convention, including securing agreement on the financial procedures for its operation.

Lebanon participated in the convention’s First Review Conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia in September 2015, where it made several statements. In an address to the high-level segment of the meeting, Lebanon urged States Parties to pay greater attention to their international cooperation and assistance to ensure full implementation of the convention.[6]

Lebanon was a lead sponsor on and voted in favor of a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution on the convention adopted on 7 December 2015, which urges all states outside the convention to “join as soon as possible.”[7] A total of 139 states voted in favor of the non-binding resolution including many non-signatories.

Lebanon has participated in every Meeting of States Parties of the convention and the First Review Conference, as well as intersessional meetings in Geneva in 2011–2015. It has convened and participated in regional workshops on cluster munitions.

Lebanon has stated it is disturbed and deeply concerned at “cluster munition use anywhere by anyone.”[8] At the First Review Conference, Lebanon said, “we believe any use of cluster munitions must be condemned, regardless of who used.”[9] At the UNGA First Committee on Disarmament and International Security in October 2015, Lebanon’s representative stated that “based on its continuous painful experience as a victim of these weapons since 2006, Lebanon condemns any use of cluster munitions and calls for the universalization of the Convention.”[10]

Lebanon is not party to the Mine Ban Treaty. It is also not party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Interpretive issues

Lebanon has elaborated its views on several important issues relating to the convention’s interpretation and implementation. It has stated that the prohibition on the transfer of cluster munitions includes a prohibition on “transit,” that foreign stockpiling of cluster munitions is prohibited, that financing and investment in cluster munition production or transfer is prohibited, and that Article 1 of the convention takes precedence over Article 21 so that “States Parties must never undertake any act that could constitute deliberate assistance with a prohibited act.”[11]

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

Lebanon has stated several times that it has never used, produced, or stockpiled cluster munitions.[12] It has confirmed no production of cluster munitions in its Article 7 reports.[13]

Lebanon has not retained any cluster munitions for training or research purposes because it says it sees no reason to do so as the “detection of submunition remnants does not require a more sophisticated technology than what currently exists.”[14]

Israel used cluster munitions in Lebanon in 1978, 1982, and 2006.[15] The United States (US) dropped cluster bombs against Syrian air defense units near Beirut during an intervention in December 1983.[16] In 2006, Hezbollah fired cluster munitions from southern Lebanon into northern Israel.[17]

Jump to a specific section of the chapter:

Treaty Status | Management & Coordination | Impact (contamination & casualties) | Addressing the Impact (land release, risk education, victim assistance)

Country Summary

Lebanon remains contaminated with cluster munitions, landmines, and explosive remnants of war (ERW) from the 1975–1990 Lebanese Civil War; Israeli invasions of south Lebanon in 1978, 1982 and 2006; the laying of mines on the Blue Line between 1984–2000; and new contamination along the northeast border with Syria in 2014–2017 during the Syrian Civil War.

Lebanon is a State Party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, and in 2020 submitted a request to extend its Article 4 clearance deadline to 1 May 2026, which was granted through silent procedure in April 2021.[1] At the end of 2020, Lebanon had 7.29km² of cluster munition remnants contamination remaining.[2] Much of the remaining contamination is found in areas with steep slopes and dense vegetation, creating challenges for clearance and the safety of clearance teams.[3] During the last five years, Lebanon has cleared 7km² of land contaminated by cluster munitions.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the blast at the Port of Beirut on 4 August 2020 contributed to a sharp devaluation of the Lebanese Lira, compounding Lebanon’s political and economic problems.[4]

Progress in landmine clearance has been slow, with just over 2km² cleared in the last five years.

In 2020, there were nine casualties from mines/ERW in Lebanon; a decrease from 13 casualties in 2019. All nine casualties resulted from mines, with none caused by cluster munition remnants.[5]

Clearance, risk education, and victim assistance are the responsibility of the Lebanon Mine Action Center (LMAC), which is part of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF). Risk education and victim assistance are implemented in cooperation with multi-stakeholder steering committees.

Risk education includes a national risk education campaign, educational institutions, and training for non-governmental organization (NGO) activists, social workers, and health workers.[6]

Lebanon’s health system is weak due to limited government budget.[7] Lebanon is not a State Party the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Its domestic law on the “Access and Rights of People with Disability” has seen little advancement in application since it was passed by parliament in 2000.[8] In 2020, a first national survivor survey since 2013 provided updated data on mine/ERW victims, to prioritize monthly governmental financial support and rehabilitation.[9]

From May–December 2020, the Lebanese government provided monthly financial aid to all mine/ ERW victims amid the country’s worsening economic crisis.[10] A decline in financial support to victim assistance services—including services for physical rehabilitation, psychological support, social inclusion activities, economic inclusion, and inclusive education—was reported in 2020.[11]

Treaty Status

Treaty status overview

Lebanon became a State Party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 1 May 2011 and had an initial obligation to destroy all cluster munition remnants by 1 May 2021. In December 2019, Lebanon submitted an Article 4 extension request for an additional five years to 1 May 2026. This was positively recommended by the Article 4 Analysis Group at the convention’s Second Review Conference, held virtually on 25–27 November 2020, and approved by silent procedure on 23 April 2021.[12] Lebanon reported a drop of funding for cluster munition remnants clearance in 2020. The workplan submitted with the extension plan was built on the assumption that funding would continue at the same level as for the previous three years.[13]

Lebanon is not a State Party to the Mine Ban Treaty but has stated that “LMAC works in spirit of the treaty.”[14] Clearance of mined areas was originally expected to be completed by the end of 2020, in accordance with the 2011–2020 national strategy. Meeting that target was contingent on the deployment of an increased number of demining teams.[15]

Management and Coordination

Mine action management and coordination

Mine action management and coordination overview[16]

Coordination

LMAA is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defense and is chaired by the Minister of Defense. LMAA has overall responsibility for Lebanon’s mine action program.[17] LMAC is part of the LAF and is based in Beirut.[18] LMAC has responsibility for mine clearance, risk education, and victim assistance.[19] RMAC, based in Nabatiyeh, manages, plans, and supervises demining operations in the south of Lebanon, West Bekaa, and Chouf.[20]

UNDP personnel, funded by the European Union (EU), are seconded to LMAC and RMAC, and provide support in capacity-building, including for transparency reporting, strategic reviews, Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) database entry, community liaison, and quality assurance.[21]

LMAC holds quarterly Technical Working Group and biannual country coalition meetings via the Mine Action Forum. These meetings are held to discuss progress and challenges towards meeting Lebanon’s Article 4 obligations.

Strategies and policy

LMAC has a new strategic mine action plan for 2020–2025, replacing its previous plan, which ran from 2011–2020.[22] The strategy, developed with support from the EU-funded UNDP project, has as its overall vision, “A Lebanon free from the negative impact caused by explosive ordnance.”[23]

The strategy has five objectives which include: adhering to and promoting relevant disarmament treaties; delivering a high-quality product; focusing on capacity development, cooperation, and strategic partnerships; achieving the release of all cluster munition contaminated areas by 2025 and other priority areas affected by mines/ERW; and ensuring the specific needs and perspectives of women, girls, men, and boys from all groups in society are considered.

A strategy implementation plan has been developed and an annual working plan will be developed in 2021.[24]

National legislation and standards

There is no national mine action law in Lebanon.[25] However, Lebanon has a comprehensive set of national standards and conducted a full review of its national mine action standards in 2020.[26]

Information management

LMAC secured funding to shift from its current version of IMSMA (IMSMA Next Generation) to IMSMA Core in 2019.[27] In 2020, LMAC, with support from the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), began the process of data migration to IMSMA Core. The system was expected to be fully operational in 2021.[28]

Gender and diversity

The new LMAC strategy for 2020–2025 includes an objective focusing on gender and diversity to ensure inclusion and equal access to all.[29] LMAC plans to increase the number of women working in different sections. Around 11% of LMAC staff are women, compared to 5% in the LAF.

Regional coordination

The Arab Regional Cooperation Program (ARCP) provides support to national authorities in mine action across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, in the form of technical assistance and training, the coordination and hosting of exchange visits, the promotion of best practices and documentation of lessons learned, and the mobilization of funding.[30]

A Regional School for Humanitarian Demining in Lebanon (RSHDL), which became operational in 2017, was built in partnership between Lebanon and France.[31] The school provides a wide array of courses and workshops related to demining.[32]

Risk education management and coordination

Risk education management and coordination overview

Note: ERW=explosive remnants of war.

Coordination

The National Steering Committee on Risk Education, led by the Media and Risk Education Section Head from LMAC, met three times during 2020.[33] One coordination meeting with risk education operators was held in 2020 to discuss the risk education annual workplan for 2021, the use of new IMSMA forms, beneficiary number calculations, and the provision of risk education during the COVID-19 pandemic.[34]

LMAC approves all risk education materials, activities, and projects.[35] Risk education is initiated by operators requesting permission to conduct risk education; by LMAC assigning a risk education activity according to their priorities; or by schools, communities, or other bodies sending a request to LMAC.[36]

Strategies

There is no specific objective or output for risk education in the Lebanon Mine Action Strategy 2020–2025, with the exception that all community liaison, risk education and non-technical survey teams should be gender-balanced.[37] However, Outcome 1 ensures that all affected individuals and communities receive risk education, noting that Syrian refugees have particular needs and that the program must ensure risk education training is threat- and context-sensitive. There is no separate risk education strategy in Lebanon.[38]

The annual risk education workplan for 2021 was developed in 2020, in consultation with national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the United Nations (UN).[39]

National standards and guidelines

The National Mine Action Standard 12.10 on Mine/ERW Risk Education was being updated to be in line with the second edition of International Mine Action Standard (IMAS) 12.10 on Risk Education (September 2020), and was due to be completed in June 2021.[40]

Victim assistance management and coordination

Victim assistance management and coordination overview[41]

Laws and policies

Lebanon’s Law 220/2000 on the “Access and Rights of People with Disability” addresses the right of disabled persons to access adequate education, rehabilitation services, employment, medical services, sports, public transport, and other facilities.[42] Lebanese citizens with a disability can register for a disability card.[43] However, little progress has been made since parliament passed the law in 2000.[44]

Discrimination against persons with disabilities is prohibited by law, but discrimination continues. Law 220/2000 stipulates a 3% quota for hiring persons with disabilities, applicable to all employers in Lebanon. However, there is no evidence that the law is being enforced. The law also requires that buildings be made accessible to persons with disabilities, but the building code still requires amendments.[45] Most public schools were not yet accessible, as of 2019.[46]

Efforts to advocate for full implementation of Law 220/2000—via the mechanism of the National Steering Committee on Victim Assistance—continue, but LMAC reported that there had been no changes in 2020 due to economic and political unrest in Lebanon.[47]

Impact

Contamination

Contamination (as of December 2020)[48]

Note: ERW=explosive remnants of war; and IED=improvised explosive device.

Landmine contamination

Landmines affect both northern and southern Lebanon, although the majority are in the south. The minefields in the north and Mount Lebanon are typically “militia” minefields, where mines were randomly laid by multiple actors during the civil war and minefield records and maps do not exist. The minefields in the south are typically conventional minefields, laid in a pattern and where the location of the mines is identified on minefield maps.[49] The minefields in the south along the Blue Line, which marks the border with Israel, stretch for more than 118km.

Since 2017, new areas have been mined along Lebanon’s northeast border, resulting from the conflict in Syria.[50] Lebanon reported that the main threat in its northeast border area is posed by improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and that this includes improvised mines in addition to other types of IEDs.[51] In 2020, Lebanon reported 0.04km² of new antipersonnel mine contamination, mostly in Mount Lebanon governorate.[52]

As of the end of 2020, Lebanon reported 18.23km² of landmine contamination.[53] Much of this contamination is on valuable agriculture land in rural areas, which is crucial for livelihood activities.[54] Contamination resulting from the Syrian Civil War has created additional risks for Syrian refugees who transit or inhabit the areas in Lebanon’s northeast border region.[55]

Cluster munition remnants contamination

Cluster munition remnants contamination in Lebanon is largely the result of the conflict with Israel from July–August 2006, when Israel fired an estimated four million submunitions on southern Lebanon; 90% of which were dispersed in the last 72 hours of the conflict.[56] Around one million submunitions failed to explode.[57] In addition, some cluster munition remnants remain from earlier conflicts with Israel in 1978 and 1982.[58] Types of submunitions found in Lebanon include: M42, M43, M46, M77, M85, MK118, MZD-2, BLU26, BLU61, and BLU63.[59]

Following data cleanup, after the transfer of data to IMSMA Core, LMAC reported that at the end of 2020, cluster munition remnants contamination covered 7.29km² in total, covering three areas: Bekaa, Mount Lebanon, and southern Lebanon.[60]

New areas with cluster munition remnants contamination have been discovered in 2019 and 2020. In 2019, 0.26km² of new contamination in northeast Lebanon was reported, as a result of spillover from the Syrian Civil War.[61] In 2020, a further 0.92km² of new contamination, also in the northeast, was added to the overall contamination total.[62]

Cluster munition remnants in Lebanon contaminate predominantly rural areas, where communities depend on agricultural activities to generate income.[63]

An influx of refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria has significantly increased population density in Lebanon, resulting in greater demand to use rural land for economic purposes. Many contaminated areas are inhabited by Syrian refugees and are used for agricultural activities; which has increased the exposure of civilians to risk from cluster munition remnants, mines and ERW.[64]

Casualties

Casualties overview[65]

Casualties in 2020: details

In 2020, nine casualties were recorded, all caused by antipersonnel mines. Of these nine casualties, eight were men, and one was a female deminer. Four of the men were injured in one incident while collecting wood; two were injured in one incident while hiking; and two were injured in separate incidents while walking. All casualties recorded in 2020 were Lebanese nationals. In 2019, out of 13 casualties in total, seven were Lebanese nationals, five were Syrian, and one was Palestinian. No child casualties were recorded in Lebanon in 2020—making it the first year without any child casualties since 2012.

The nine casualties in 2020 represents a continuing decrease in annual casualties, from 13 in 2019 and 22 in 2018. Annual mine/ERW casualty rates in Lebanon have declined significantly from the 113 casualties recorded in 2000, except for a noticeable spike between August and December 2006 following shelling and cluster munition attacks in southern Lebanon by Israel.[66]

No casualties were caused by unexploded submunitions in Lebanon in 2020. Five casualties from unexploded submunitions were reported annually in 2017–2019, reflecting an increase on the one casualty reported in 2016 but fewer than the 13 reported in 2015.

Through to December 2020, the Monitor had identified a total of 750 cluster munition casualties for all time in Lebanon, including those recorded by LMAC. Little data is available on casualties caused directly by cluster munition strikes: only 16 (three killed, 13 injured) have been identified.[67]

Addressing the Impact

Mine action

Clearance operators

Clearance

Land release overview[68]

Note: ERW=explosive remnants of war.

Survey

In 2020, Lebanon completed non-technical survey on all land contaminated by cluster munition remnants. In its Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 4 deadline extension request, LMAC reported that non-technical survey teams worked on a continuous basis to report changes in the status of each site, to identify changes in priorities, and to make sure that fencing and marking were in place.[69] LMAC planned to re-survey all cluster munition contaminated land by the end of 2020, with the conservative estimate that 1.46km² would be cancelled at a cost of $168,000.[70] As of the end of 2020, LMAC reported that non-technical survey of all areas contaminated by cluster munition remnants was complete, with 1.9km² cancelled, exceeding expectations.[71]

Cluster munition remnants clearance

Lebanon reported the release of 1.59km² of cluster munition contaminated land in 2020. Of this total, 1.28km² was cleared, 0.28km² was cancelled through non-technical survey, and 0.03km² was reduced through technical survey.[72] The 1.28km² cleared was an increase from its 2019 figure of 1.26km². A total of 2,098 submunitions were cleared and destroyed in 2020 through surface, sub-surface, and rapid response. From 2016–2020, Lebanon has cleared 7km² of land contaminated by cluster munition remnants.

Lebanon’s Article 4 extension request estimated that by the end of 2020, cluster munition remnant contamination would be 7.9km². However, by the end of 2020, LMAC reported that the remaining contamination was 7.29km², meaning that Lebanon begins its extension request period with less contamination to address than anticipated.[73] Lebanon aims to release 1.6km² of cluster munition contaminated land per year, at an annual cost of $6.6 million.[74]

The geographical features of contaminated land, such as steep slopes and dense vegetation, create a challenge for clearance and the safety of clearance teams.[75] LMAC is developing a study together with GICHD to ensure that “all reasonable effort” can be applied to find appropriate solutions for clearance on difficult terrain.[76] The study is expected to be completed in 2021.[77]

LMAC, with support from UNDP, undertook two studies in 2020. The first looked at clearance prioritization and post-clearance reporting, while the second focused on optimizing land release processes and methodologies.[78] The new prioritization system takes into consideration operations, and also strategic objectives such as safety, development, and treaties.

Landmine clearance

In 2020, Lebanon reported clearing 0.26km² of mine contaminated land. Based on available funds, Lebanon reported average land release for mine contaminated land is around 0.36km² per year.[79]

COVID-19 impact

LMAC reported that lockdowns implemented in 2020 due to COVID-19 resulted in around 46 lost working days. New standard operating procedures were developed by LMAC concerning COVID-19 safety measures during operations.[80]

Residual risk

In 2020, LMAC staff participated in GICHD training on long-term risk management. A draft exit strategy was prepared, which will be finalized in 2021.[81]

Risk education

Risk education operators[82]

Note: NGO=non-governmental organization.

Beneficiary numbers

Beneficiary numbers[83]

Note: N/A=not applicable.

Twenty-four teams provided risk education in Lebanon in 2020. LMAC reported that a total of 11,141 beneficiaries were reached through risk education in 2020, and that 2,746 risk education sessions were held.[84] However, the beneficiary numbers provided by operators exceed the total provided by LMAC. UNICEF reached a total of 10,886 child beneficiaries through risk education in 2020, including 30 children with disabilities. UNICEF also provided training to 33 professionals to deliver risk education.[85]

Implementation

Target groups

LMAC collects victim data that is used for the prioritization of risk education.[86] Priorities for risk education are set by LMAC based on three main impact criteria: the size of the population; the number of incidents and casualties in the area; and the extent of contamination.[87] Risk education is planned at the start of each year, targeting the most at-risk groups based on these criteria.

The approximately 1.5 million Syrian refugees living in Lebanon are regarded as a high-priority group for risk education, as they are often unfamiliar with contamination in the country. Some of the Syrian refugee camps and settlements in Lebanon are in close proximity to hazardous areas.[88]

Other target groups include schoolchildren, university students, farmers, shepherds, and seasonal workers. Parents are often targeted for risk education, to pass messages on to their children.[89] HI provided risk education to quarry workers in 2020, while NPA conducted sessions to landowners, land users, and municipal officials in cluster munition contaminated areas.[90]

HI and MAG reported that they often trained other field workers and journalists in risk education.[91]

Delivery methods

Risk education is conducted in both urban and rural areas of Lebanon, with sessions provided in refugee camps and settlements, and in host communities.[92] Risk education is conducted for mines, cluster munition remnants, improvised mines, and other types of ERW.

Emergency response risk education sessions are conducted by implementing partners in areas where hazardous items or risky behavior has been reported.[93] This has included incidents where mines migrated across the Syrian border to Akkar, in northern Lebanon, after flooding. Emergency risk education was conducted with the support of UNICEF.[94]

LMAC has a hotline that communities can call to report ordnance. The number is shared with local communities by SMS text messaging as part of the national risk education campaign.[95]

Risk education sessions are organized at the community level in partnership with scouts and other local organizations, while games and sports combined with risk education are held for youth and children.[96] LMAC has trained scout and youth leaders and focal points from the Ministry of Tourism to deliver risk education. Landmine Resource Center reported that 260 NGO activists were trained in risk education in Lebanon in 2019 (150 women and 110 men), while 699 schoolteachers (400 women and 299 men) also received training.[97]

MAG reported implementing risk education both as a standalone activity and as a part of clearance and survey. Risk education was also delivered by MAG in schools, using puppet shows for primary level and PowerPoint and flipchart presentations for secondary level.[98]

HI supports the integration of risk education within the protection and education projects of its implementing partners.[99]

NPA conducts standalone risk education, and risk education integrated with non-technical survey and impact assessment, as part of community liaison activities.[100] NPA reported reaching 8,895 beneficiaries through mass and digital media.

New developments in 2020

In 2019 and 2020, LMAC used social media, including Facebook and Twitter, for risk education to reach more people at reduced cost, and to keep people informed about mine action activities.[101] LMAC worked with MAG to develop a risk education virtual reality video, while MAG and NPA also discussed the implementation of risk education through digital means in 2020.[102]

New materials were developed in 2020 to reflect contamination type, including IEDs.[103]

The use of digital campaigning was employed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic preventing community risk education. However, this was found to exclude certain sectors of the population, such as older people not familiar with mobile phones and communities where electricity or internet provision was unreliable.[104] COVID-19 prevention messages were combined with risk education.

Operators reported that COVID-19 created challenges for risk education implementation in 2020, due to government lockdowns, operational restrictions, and concerns about spreading COVID-19 to communities.[105] Schools were closed in February 2020 and the government restricted gatherings of more than 10 people, which prevented some risk education and focus group discussion activities taking place. It was also reported that some people were less interested in receiving risk education due to other concerns such as rising unemployment, poverty, and civil unrest.[106] LMAC reported that new standard operating procedures to address COVID-19 challenges were developed to enable risk education to continue while ensuring the protection of communities and risk education staff.[107]

LMAC cooperated with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to organize a training of trainers program in public schools, as part of broader health and safety training provided to teachers.[108]

Marking

All mine/ERW contaminated sites are marked using warning signs, and this marking is conducted in partnership with affected local communities.[109]

Victim assistance

Victim assistance operators[110]

Major developments

As in 2019, a decrease in financial support to victim assistance was reported in 2020 for physical rehabilitation, psychological support, social inclusion activities, economic inclusion, and inclusive education.[111] The decline in financial support for victim assistance included international funding, and also reduced national funding due to the economic crisis in Lebanon.

During 2020, Lebanon suffered an unprecedented economic and political crisis, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, which made outreach to victims difficult. LMAC teams reported visiting all victims to check on their situation and to provide them with necessities as required.[112] Due to the economic crisis, the Lebanese government paid monthly financial aid during the last eight months of 2020 to all mine/ERW victims in the country.[113]

Needs assessment

A national victim survey was undertaken in 2020, enabling the prioritization of victims for monthly governmental financial support and rehabilitation. The IMSMA forms were also updated.[114] This marked the first national needs assessment survey reported in Lebanon since 2013.[115]

LMAC continued to update its database on mine/ERW victims.[116]

Medical care and rehabilitation

National standards for prosthetic devices have been established in Lebanon, while emergency care and medical treatment was provided to survivors free of charge.[117] However, the health system is weak, due to the limited government budget.[118] In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and the August 2020 explosion at the Port of Beirut placed additional strain on Lebanon’s health system.

In 2020, ICRC supported 48 hospitals; seven of which had ICRC staffing or monitoring.[119] ICRC supported 12 physical rehabilitation projects and responded to urgent needs created by the Beirut port explosion.[120] Twelve clinics received regular ICRC support including medicine, medical supplies, training, and salary incentives.[121]

Due to the worsening economic situation in Lebanon, ICRC reported that more people than in past years requested assistance for obtaining physical rehabilitation. The ICRC noted an increasing number of amputees in vulnerable circumstances who had not had a prosthesis fitted for more than eight years.[122] In 2020, eight ICRC-supported centers, including one run by the Lebanese Red Cross, provided assistive devices and rehabilitative care for 1,020 persons with disabilities (including 154 women and 471 children), and helped them to improve their mobility.[123] This was an increase from 870 people supported in 2019. In total, 244 prostheses, 952 orthoses, 151 walking aids, and 199 wheelchairs or postural support devices were delivered with ICRC support in 2020.[124]

Assessments carried out at ICRC-supported centers found that patients were satisfied with the service they received, but another survey pointed to the need for greater mental health and psychosocial support.[125]

Two Lebanese Red Cross staff members were sponsored by ICRC to enroll in online courses on prosthetics and orthotics.[126]

The Ministry of Public Health and Ministry of Social Affairs also provided physical rehabilitation. In 2020, the Ministry of Social Affairs provided four new prostheses to mine/ERW victims.[127] This was a significant decrease from the 18 prostheses provided in 2019.[128]

Other organizations at the national level—including the National Rehabilitation and Development Center (NRDC), the Vision Association for Development, Rehabilitation, and Care (VADRC), the Tamkeen Association for Independent Living (TAIL), and the Lebanese Welfare Association for the Handicapped (LWAH)—provided prosthetic services or assistive devices.[129]

ICRC, NGO representatives, and other actors drafted recommendations for the Ministry of Public Health on national standards for rehabilitative services.[130]

Socio-economic and psychosocial inclusion

LMAC, the Landmine Resource Center, and the members of the National Steering Committee on Victim Assistance, jointly conducted nine income-generation workshops to train survivors in 2020 and provided some with a grant for income-generating activities, funded by the Marshall Legacy Institute (MLI) and the European Union (EU).[131] The Al-Jarha Association for the War Wounded and Disabled provided financial support to survivors to cover school fees and social reintegration initiatives, while also conducting vocational training and providing loans for survivors to set up businesses.[132] NRDC facilitated inclusive education for children with disabilities.[133]

Noting a lack of progress on the application of domestic Law 220/2000 on the “Access and Rights of People with Disability,” LMAC has shifted its focus to private sector employment for persons with disabilities.[134]

In 2020, DanChurchAid (DCA) provided follow-up to 20 mine/ERW victims who had their tuition fees partially funded by DCA.[135] A project implemented by DCA in partnership with the Landmine Resource Center, to provide psychosocial support and income-generation activities to young women and men from underprivileged areas, finished in August 2020.[136]

In 2020, LMAC also followed-up with 29 mine/ERW survivors who were selected to have their technical education tuition fees partially funded by DCA.[137]

ICRC used social media in 2020 to broaden awareness of the rights of persons with disabilities and the services available to them.[138] Mental health support was provided to 479 people by ICRC, while 75 referrals were made to social integration initiatives.[139]

The ICRC supported the formation of Lebanon’s first national wheelchair basketball team and sport associations.[140]

HI continued implementation of an inclusive education pilot in 30 schools throughout Lebanon, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the Ministry of Social Affairs, and non-formal education partners.[141]

Cross-cutting

LMAC, through the National Steering Committee on Victim Assistance members, the Ministry of Social Affairs, and the Ministry of Public Health, provided social and medical assistance to the widows and children of people killed by mines/ERW in Lebanon.[142]

The victim assistance program of Lebanon’s government does not support Syrian refugees. Syrian refugees, including mine/ERW survivors, received support from the ICRC, the US Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) for medical care, prosthetics, and assistive devices.[143] In 2018, a report by HI and the Information Management and Mine Action Program (iMMAP) found that among Syrian refugees in Lebanon, “65.4% of those who use mobility aids still experience significant difficulties…walking.”[144] HI also reported households with disabilities had difficulty accessing medical services, in particular because of the cost of those services.

LMAC provided victim assistance services to rural and remote areas in close coordination with the Regional Mine Action Center (RMAC), covering Nabatiyeh and Ras-Baalbek.[145] Gender and diversity were taken into consideration in the prioritization of support to victims.

Policy

The Republic of Lebanon has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty, but indicated in December 2009 that it intends to do so, saying that it “hopes to sign…in the future” and it “looks forward to joining the Mine Ban Treaty.”[1] More recently, in November 2018 Lebanon announced that the government “is studying the possibility to acceding to the Ottawa treaty, and great steps have been taken towards that.”[2]

Previously, in 2004, Lebanon had said that it was unable to join the Mine Ban Treaty due to the continuing conflict with Israel.[3] The 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah further heightened concerns about the security of its southern border. In August 2013, Lebanon’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Adnan Mansour, reportedly stated that landmines “are protecting the border” with Israel.[4]

Lebanon has attended most meetings of the treaty, including the Third Review Conference in Maputo in June 2014 and more recently, the Seventeenth Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in November 2018, where it provided a statement on universalization. Lebanon did not attend the intersessional meetings in Geneva in May 2019.

Lebanon was not present for the vote on UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution 73/61 on antipersonnel mines on 5 December 2018.

Lebanon is party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions and hosted its Second Meeting of States Parties in Beirut in September 2011. Lebanon is also party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), and its Amended Protocol II on landmines.[5]

Production, transfer, use, and stockpiling

In December 2009, Lebanon confirmed that it “has never produced or exported antipersonnel mines.”[6] During the war, Lebanon imported mines from a number of different countries. The United States sold Lebanon 5,352 M18A1 Claymore antipersonnel landmines in 1983-1984.[7] There have been no allegations of new use by Lebanese forces of antipersonnel mines or antipersonnel mine-like devices in Lebanon since 2006.[8] In late 2011 and in 2012, the Syrian Army laid antipersonnel and antivehicle mines along its borders, including the border with Lebanon in al-Buni, Heet (PMN-2 and TMN-46 mines), and Masharih al-Qaa.[9]

In August 2011, Lebanon informed the Monitor that “The Lebanese Government doesn’t use or stockpile or produce or transport any anti-personnel mines, though the Lebanese army retains very few numbers for training purposes.”[10] Earlier, in March 2008, the director of the Lebanon Mine Action Center (LMAC) said that the stockpile consists of a small quantity of mines, which he described as being lower than the maximum number permitted by the Mine Ban Treaty for training purposes.[11]

In August 2017, the Lebanese Army launched a military operation to expel Islamic State (IS) militants from an area they occupied in the western Qalamoun Mountains, near Arsala, on Lebanon’s border with Syria. The area occupied by IS was found to have extensive contamination from IS-laid improvised mines.[12]

In 2019, contributions from eight international donors for mine action activities in the Republic of Lebanon totaled almost US$20 million; about $3.8 million more than in 2018 (a 23% increase).[1]

Lebanon did not receive international support for victim assistance in 2019. Instead, all funds were allocated to capacity-building, clearance, and risk education activities.

International contributions: 2019[2]

Note: N/A=not applicable.

In 2019, Lebanon reported contributing an average of US$9 million per year toward national mine action.[3] From 2015–2019, the government of Lebanon contributed a total of $45 million to its mine action program, representing 40% of its total mine action budget. International contributions totaled some $68.6 million during this period; an average of $13.8 million per year.

Summary of contributions: 2015–2019[4]

Victim assistance action points

• Create a sustainable funding strategy for the physical rehabilitation sector that relies on international funding and national donations.
• Ensure that all survivors in the Lebanon Mine Action Center (LMAC) database have received a healthcare card to facilitate their access to care.
• Introduce standards for prosthetic devices.

Victim assistance planning and coordination

International commitments and obligations

Laws and policies

Lebanon’s Law 220/2000 on the “Access and Rights of People with Disability” addresses the rights of persons with disabilities to have access to adequate education, rehabilitation services, employment, medical services sports, public transport, and other facilities.[8] Lebanese citizens with a disability can register for a disability card.[9] However, little progress has been made since parliament passed the law on disabilities in 2000.[10]

Discrimination against persons with disabilities is prohibited by law, but discrimination continued. The National Disability Law stipulates a 3% quota for hiring persons with disabilities for all employers. However, there was no evidence the law was enforced. The law required that buildings be made accessible to persons with disabilities, but the building code still required amendments.[11] Most public schools were not yet accessible.[12]

Major Developments in 2017–2018

The number of refugees in Lebanon remained steady compared to 2016.[13] There were no significant changes in terms of victim assistance funding.[14]

The government focal point for victim assistance reported that national standards for prosthetic devices had been established.[15]

Needs assessment

No national needs assessment survey was conducted in 2017 due to a lack of funds.[16] In 2017, LMAC continued to update the mine victims’ database.[17]

Medical care and rehabilitation

Emergency care and medical treatment continued to be provided to mine/ERW survivors free of charge.[18]

In 2017, the European Union (EU), the Marshall Legacy Institute (MLI), ITF Enhancing Human Security (ITF), and Dan Church Aid (DCA) were among the major donors for victim assistance in Lebanon, providing services to about 100 mine/ERW survivors.[19] Services included the provision of prostheses, an income-generating program, and psychosocial support.[20]

In early 2017, 45 mine/ERW survivors received rehabilitation services through MLI funding. In December 2017, LMAC approved a list of another 45 mine/ERW survivors to receive rehabilitation services, including prostheses and assistive devices, through EU funding.[21]

Government bodies such as the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Affairs were also involved in the provision of physical rehabilitation services to mine/ERW survivors, but these services were limited in 2017.[22] Other organizations at the national level, including Al-Jarha, Vision Association for Development, Rehabilitation, and Care–Al Ru’ya, Tamkeen, and the Lebanese Welfare Association for the Handicapped (LWAH) provided prosthetic services or assistive devices.[23]

Socio-economic and psychosocial inclusion

With funding from the Marshall Legacy Institute (MLI) and the EU, LMAC, the Landmine Resource Center, and the National Rehabilitation and Development Center (NRDC) jointly conducted an income-generation workshop to train 46 landmine survivors, 18 of whom received a grant to start an income-generating activity.

Al-Jarha Association provided financial support to about 90 survivors to cover school fees, and to over 280 survivors to cover social reintegration initiatives. Al-Jarha also conducted vocational trainings and provided loans for survivors to set up their businesses.[24] The NRDC facilitated inclusive education for approximately 80 disabled children in 2017.[25]

Cross-cutting

LMAC, through the Steering Committee members, the Ministry of Social Affairs, and the Ministry of Health, provides social and medical assistance to the widows and children of people killed by mines/ERW.

The victim assistance program of the government of Lebanon does not include support to Syrian refugees. Syrian refugees, including mine/ERW survivors, receive support from the ICRC, the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for medical care, prosthetics, and other assistive devices.[26]

Humanity & Inclusion (formerly Handicap International, HI) and Information Management and Mine Action Programs(IMMAP) were conducting an assessment of the level of access of refugees with disabilities to services.[27]

Victim assistance providers and activities