Mobilization Restricts Movement of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

Children in one of the Syrian refugee camps in the Beqaa region, Lebanon (EPA)
Children in one of the Syrian refugee camps in the Beqaa region, Lebanon (EPA)
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Mobilization Restricts Movement of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

Children in one of the Syrian refugee camps in the Beqaa region, Lebanon (EPA)
Children in one of the Syrian refugee camps in the Beqaa region, Lebanon (EPA)

Six weeks have passed since the last visit by UN delegations and international and humanitarian agencies to the Syrian refugees in Lebanon’s camps, due to the coronavirus outbreak.

This has led to scarcity of aid provided to these refugees, including water, home services, and hygiene kits, threatening their health and increasing the possibility of an outbreak in camps.

It has also negatively affected the social services and health benefits provided to the displaced Syrians.

The displaced complained about the delay in financial and food aid and fuel allowances that were allocated for each family every month.

They said the LBP40,500 ($27) allocated to each family have lost their value due to the economic crisis in the country, and refugees can no longer buy what they deem necessary.

According to Hamid, one of the refugees in a camp in the Beqaa Valley, the value of the share per person was $30 in 2014, and in 2015 it was reduced to $27.

“The drop in the value of the Lebanese pound has worsened the living situation in light of the quarantine and curfew imposed by the government,” Hamid stressed.

Another Syrian refugee, Ali Diab, expressed appreciation for Taybeh village’s municipality for spraying disinfectants in the camp, yet he said this was not enough.

“We have been in isolation for more than two months now. Our work has been suspended, the United Nations has not visited us since then, and the security forces prevent us from leaving the camp.”

Hassan Khalaf, for his part, said the LBP260,000- worth ration card used to be enough before the currency collapse, noting that it is barely sufficient for one week now.

He pointed out that there is a lack of supplies such as masks, gloves, disinfectants, and soaps in camps, which threatens refugees in light of the coronavirus outbreak.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is working on a response plan for the coronavirus outbreak, its spokesperson, Lisa Abou Khaled, told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Abou Khaled pointed out that the cash aid remains the same, adding that the UNHCR is working to increase aid to families of displaced Syrians and increase the number of beneficiaries in line with the new situation.



Almost Half of Attacks on Heath Care in Lebanon Have Been Deadly, WHO Says

Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the village of Al-Khiyam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 22 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)
Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the village of Al-Khiyam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 22 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)
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Almost Half of Attacks on Heath Care in Lebanon Have Been Deadly, WHO Says

Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the village of Al-Khiyam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 22 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)
Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the village of Al-Khiyam in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, northern Israel, 22 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)

The World Health Organization says nearly half of the attacks on health care in Lebanon have been deadly since the Middle East conflict erupted in October last year, the highest such rate anywhere in the world.

The UN health agency says 65 out of 137, or 47%, of recorded “attacks on health care” in Lebanon over that time period have proven fatal to at least one person, and often many more.

WHO’s running global tally counts attacks, whether deliberate or not, that affect places like hospitals, clinics, medical transport, and warehouses for medical supplies, as well as medics, doctors, nurses and the patients they treat.

Nearly half of attacks on health care in Lebanon since last October and the majority of deaths occurred since an intensified Israeli military campaign began against Hezbollah in the country two months ago.

The health agency said 226 health workers and patients have been killed and 199 injured in Lebanon between Oct. 7, 2023 and this Monday.