Three years after the Beirut explosion: Where does Lebanon’s disaster management stand?
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The DRMU has not received sustained and systematic funding from the Lebanese government–even before the economic crisis began in 2019. The majority of its activities are funded through external grants — including some $5 million from the Swiss Agency of Development and Corporation (SDC). This funding system is both unsustainable and unlikely to change in the near future, according to a 2019 report by global think tank ODI. Even The World Bank noted, in 2014, that “policies and plans are not supported by adequate budgets, and implementation is often dependent on donor support.”
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The study also stated that the enforcement of building codes and standards was difficult because of the weakness of the public sector. Lebanon’s disaster risk management projects have also been criticized for ignoring socio-cultural factors, excluding local communities from the decision-making process, and lacking a clear command structure, communication, and coordination between the parties involved in disaster response.
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The fire brigade and the Civil Defense share common concerns and challenges. With the soaring exchange rate, all their necessities are priced in dollars, yet the meager funding they receive remains in Lebanese Lira. As a result, they face a shortage of basic equipment: firefighting suits, tires, hoses. Their vehicles are worn down, often ending up parked away because of the prohibitive costs of repairs if anything breaks down. A photograph from 2021 showing medics pushing an ambulance that had run out of gas became a striking example of the very real impact of the fuel crisis on the capacity for emergency response.
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A study on 24 hospitals in Beirut, published in December 2020, found that they all have a disaster and emergency response plan, and most are equipped with basic medical and pharmaceutical supplies, onsite laboratories, and blood banks. But only two-thirds have a backup communication system and 79 percent of them performed disaster drills.
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