A/HRC/3/2 page 69 300. The Commission was told that the tourism sector was at its record peak prior to the war, with 1.6 million tourists expected over the year, and with the number of tourists increasing by 50 per cent over the first 6 months of the year. Losses in revenues are estimated to exceed US$ 2 billion. Around 15 per cent of the workers in the restaurant sector (i.e. 7,500 employees) have already lost their jobs because of the shut-downs, and total losses in this sector were estimated at around US$ 230 million.270 301. Fishing was also heavily disrupted. In addition to the damage to the ports of Tyre, Saida, and Ouzai (with 400 boats destroyed in addition to fishing nets and accessories) fishing activity ground to a halt (with an estimated 5,000 fishermen unable to work) due to insecurity, the oil spill following the destruction of the tanks of Jiyyeh, the absence of fuel, transportation and export channels, and the sea blockade imposed by Israel.271 302. More generally, preliminary estimates indicate an increase in national unemployment rates from 8-10 per cent prior to the war to 25 per cent. Furthermore people working in the informal sector and those engaged in seasonal and temporary jobs (tourism, agriculture and services), estimated at around 11 per cent (more than 122,000 persons) of total workers, have been out of work since the beginning of the war.272 303. While, prior to the war, the main public finance indicators were showing improvements in the one-year period spanning from June 2005 to June 2006, the loss in public finance due to the Israeli offensive against Lebanon is estimated at around US$ 1.6 billion until the end of 2006, taking into consideration the Israeli blockade.273 The Council for Development and Reconstruction told the Commission that unofficial estimates for the reconstruction, based on the assessment done so far, are now at US$ 3.5 billion.274 304. The Government of Lebanon has set up an overall coordination system of the early recovery process. This task will involve all key ministries and State agencies as well as international and local organizations with the participation of the private sector. In that regard, an Early Recovery Fund was established.275 (b) The blockade 305. The blockade clearly exacerbated the impact of the conflict on the economy of Lebanon. As outlined earlier, the fishermen were not able to exercise their activity for more than one month. Their situation was aggravated by the magnitude of the Jiyyeh oil spill and the impossibility, because of the blockade, of undertaking rapid cleanup measures. The fact that the air and sea blockade were maintained for more than three weeks after the end of the hostilities did not contribute to allaying, at least partially, the pressure on the fishing and tourism sectors. 306. The analysis of the economic impact of the blockade cannot be limited to the fishing and tourism industries. As indicated by the Ministry of Finance “for the two months of July and August, the slide in revenues has already amounted to around US$ 314 million (…), which is equivalent to 1.44 per cent of GDP, and is expected to sum up to more that US$ 920 million … only in 2006 when compared to previous expectations, taking into account the spanning of the blockade for a period of two months”.276