The National Committee for Coordinating Disaster and Crisis Response Operations met at the Grand Serail, chaired by the Prime Minister, with attendance from the ministers of Interior and Municipalities, Education and Higher Education, Public Health, Public Works and Transport, Industry, Environment, Labor, the Secretary-General of the Supreme Defense Council, the head of the Higher Relief Commission, the commander of the Beirut Fire Brigade, the Director of the Disaster Risk Management Unit, and representatives from the Ministry of Information, the Army, Internal Security Forces, Civil Defense, the National Council for Scientific Research, and the Lebanese Red Cross. The meeting was held to address the resultant and potential impacts of the earthquake that struck Lebanon on 06/02/2023 and to coordinate national efforts in response through an executive action plan that includes the following:
1. The Ministry of Interior and Municipalities is to immediately assign municipalities to conduct surveys of buildings within their jurisdiction (initial field surveys followed by technical surveys) and report to the ministry within 72 hours regarding the uninhabitability of any building, to act accordingly, in cooperation with engineers from the engineering syndicates and relevant private sector companies.
2. The Ministry of Interior and Municipalities will activate emergency operations rooms in the governorates (governors, deputies, mayors) and remain in full readiness to coordinate response operations in case of any emergency.
3. A committee will be formed, chaired by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, including engineers from the engineering syndicates in Tripoli and Beirut and from the public and private sectors, to conduct geophysical surveys of cracked buildings according to the following priorities (schools, universities, hospitals, dams, bridges, residential areas, etc.), utilizing previously completed studies on this issue in coordination with the Disaster Risk Management Unit at the Prime Minister's Office.
4. The Ministry of Public Works and Transport will mobilize all work teams to confront the storm, open roads and provide assistance to citizens, and remain prepared to respond to any side damages resulting from potential seismic aftershocks.
5. The Ministry of Public Health, Public Works and Transport, Civil Defense, fire brigades, and the Lebanese Red Cross will mobilize and elevate the preparedness of their specialized teams to respond immediately to any emergency.
6. The Disaster Risk Management Unit at the Prime Minister's Office, in coordination with the Civil Defense and the Lebanese Red Cross, will disseminate necessary guidelines to citizens about the procedures to follow in the event of an earthquake, as well as implement a comprehensive national campaign targeting institutions and administrations to establish plans to mitigate risks and respond during earthquakes. These guidelines will include essential points such as keeping away from collapsing buildings, beaches, electrical wires, bridges, and dams (Awareness Bulletin No. 2 issued by the Disaster Risk Management Unit and the concerned UN agency is attached).
7. The National Council for Scientific Research will assess the scientific geophysical reality by determining the likelihood of similar seismic events to counter misinformation and false news, and provide the National News Agency and the Disaster Risk Management Unit with this data to be objectively disseminated to the public.
8. The National Ministry of Information will circulate these guidelines and data issued by the National Council for Scientific Research using all available dissemination methods (government and private television stations, audio media, social media, websites, etc.) to raise awareness and prevent panic among citizens.
