The Emergency Program is a fundamental and central part of the LUPD’s work, representing a direct and symbolic response to supporting persons with disabilities during crises, disasters, and emergency situations in Lebanon. These range from wars and aggressions to compounding economic and social crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the Beirut port explosion.

Vision and Objectives

Rooted in a rights-based and humanitarian vision, the program aims to:

• Ensure survival and protection: Assist persons with disabilities and their families to survive during displacement and crisis periods.
• Preserve opportunities: Enable persons with disabilities to access their distinct basic needs (medical, social, and economic) even under the most difficult circumstances.
• Advocacy and inclusion: Pressure decision-makers to ensure disability inclusion in all recovery and development policies at national and local levels, and to enforce accessibility standards in reconstruction processes.

Activities and Services

The program offers a range of activities adapted to each crisis and the needs of beneficiaries, including:

• Relief and distribution: Distributing essential food and relief parcels, and providing cash assistance to meet diverse living needs (such as specific expenses, rent, or personal debts) for the most impoverished persons with disabilities, especially amid severe living hardships.
• Medical and rehabilitation support: Providing necessary assistive devices (e.g., wheelchairs, prosthetics, hearing and vision aids), rehabilitation services and therapy (physical therapy and community-based rehabilitation), psychosocial intervention for trauma survivors, and consultations and assistance to obtain essential medications.
• Individual response and referral: Conducting individual needs assessments, particularly for those who acquire a permanent disability due to a disaster, such as the port explosion, and operating an effective referral system to connect affected individuals with specialized services from other civil and international organizations when such services are not directly available.

Emergency Campaigns

During specific crises, program activities are organized under dedicated campaigns, such as “Joud” (Bridge, Link, Support) , launched to address the compounding impacts of economic distress and the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign raised awareness about the needs of persons with disabilities, met financial needs, and served as a link between donors and persons with disabilities.

Historic Expertise

The LUPD has long-standing experience in running emergency programs since its founding. It has provided relief distribution, rehabilitation, training, and case follow-up since the 2006 July War, making it an active and historically committed actor in emergency response affecting persons with disabilities in Lebanon.