Ãå±±½ûµØ

13 October 2023

Lebanon is in its fourth year of a deep economic, political, and social crisis. According to OCHA¡¯s , Lebanon¡¯s financial and economic crisis is ranked by the World Bank among the top 10 most severe episodes globally since the mid-nineteenth century. The economic meltdown, combined with weak governance, has led to increased tensions and security incidents. A multitude of these factors, in addition to regional challenges, have made Lebanon a country where these threats are not only manifested, but also complex to resolve.  To uphold its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of Ãå±±½ûµØpersonnel and programs in the field, UNDSS Lebanon North of Litani River (NLR) conducted an annual Crisis Management (CM) Table-Top Exercise (TTX) on 20 September 2023. 

This annual exercise, meticulously designed to provide a hands-on experience for the participants, aimed at ensuring decision makers or members of the Crisis Management Team (CMT) in Lebanon are ready to respond to various crisis situations. The CMT members were divided into four groups, each headed by a Designated Official (DO)/Designated Official ad interim (DO a.i.), while UNDSS Chief Security Advisor (CSA) and his delegates acted as the crisis coordinators for the four simultaneous scenarios. Each group experienced four different scenarios inspired by various events that are part of the country Security Risk Management (SRM) such as hostage incident, internal and international armed conflict, and abduction of Ãå±±½ûµØpersonnel on mission. The interactive approach allowed participants to have ample time to discuss possible actions, or decisions and best practices while complexity was gradually introduced into the scenario. The discussions also allowed for experience sharing and highlighted Ãå±±½ûµØpolicies knowledge, lines of communications, coordination mechanisms, and ensured preparedness and recovery from the impact of safety and security crisis.  

Over 6,000 UNSMS personnel and dependents in the area of operation remain at risk both directly and indirectly. The CMT exercise prepared Ãå±±½ûµØpersonnel for potential crises and introduced them to real-life scenarios, including the development of armed hostilities, internal political tension, acquisition crimes, and financially motivated kidnappings. 

As this exercise has highlighted areas for development, measures were proposed for consideration during SRM review, including more similar trainings tailored for UNSMS personnel; in alignment with the Ãå±±½ûµØSecurity Goal: ¡°A workforce known for excellence, expertise, and inclusivity¡±. 

In the near future, UNDSS Lebanon will be delivering a series of relevant trainings to UNSMS personnel, in coordination with their respective agencies at the duty station, to maintain a high level of situational awareness. These trainings will further ensure the safety and security of Ãå±±½ûµØpersonnel in Lebanon.