The World Bank Group in collaboration with donors, including the European Union and United Nations, has launched a Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) for the areas affected by the massive explosion that rocked the Port of Beirut on August 4, 2020. The RDNA was a broad-based assessment that aimed to identify the impact of the crisis and resulting priority reconstruction needs of the critically affected sectors leading to the development of a reconstruction plan.
What is the Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA):
The Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) is a tool to quickly understand the impact and recovery needs of localized disasters in a broad-based manner, and to inform the planning and initiation of priority recovery efforts as soon as possible. It is a methodology that utilizes cutting edge remote-sensing technology and data analytics to complement ground data. This RDNA methodology has been successfully utilized by the World Bank, with support from the EU and UN in several countries, most recently in Djibouti (2018 and 2019) and Tunisia (2018).
Hotel Stakeholder Feedbacks
In Lebanon’s context, the RDNA would assess damage to physical assets, ensuing economic loss, and the immediate- and short-term repair and rehabilitation / reconstruction needs in critical sectors. The RDNA would also identify the additional analyses and detailed assessments that need to be undertaken for a detailed recovery framework and plan.
To ensure the RDNA is grounded in and representative of the immediate and short-term needs of the hotel stakeholders, the Lebanese Hotel Association in collaboration with the World Bank, had invited the hotel stakeholders affected by the Beirut Blast, to participate in the comprehensive survey of the damages to a part or all parts of their hotel by filling out the electronic form, so that the World Bank.
The aim of this RDNA is to identify the priority recovery and reconstruction needs in the immediate to short-term, to provide feedback to the donors, including the European Union and the United Nations, on the impact of the explosion and the priority recovery and reconstruction needs in the immediate and short-term, to the donors including the European Union and the United Nations.
Electronic Meetings
LHA President Pierre Achkar conducted several electronic communications and meetings with the World Bank, prior to the hotel stakeholder feedbacks, during and after.
The three key issues for discussion were:
- Suggestions for restoring immediate- and short-term shelter, services and livelihoods
- Suggestions for implementing the above considering the challenges as a result of the explosion: capacity, supply, and other constraints
- Views on the support that stakeholders need in the immediate- and short-term recovery and reconstruction efforts
President Pierre Achkar requested the following for the tourism and hotel sector:
– Rehabilitation of the damaged hotels and tourist establishments, with the grants counted in “Fresh Money” dollars.
– Securing salaries for employees in the sector across Lebanon
– Securing loans backed by zero percent interest to cover the accumulated debts of banks across Lebanon
– Monitor grants to re-market tourism in Lebanon in light of the accumulated crises: the economic, the deterioration of the Lebanese pound against the US dollar, the banking crisis, the Covid-19 and the Beirut Port explosion.
Download the World Bank Reports on Lebanon
200819_Report_Tourism-Sector-Beirut-RDNA4-200819_Report_Commerce-Industry-Beirut-RDNA
