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Report By: URGC Ambassador At Large Dr. Amelia Constantinou
SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS IN LEBANON-UNHCR PROMISE OF RESETTLEMENT
Syrians who fled and still fleeing conflict continue to make up the majority of refugees in Lebanon. According to current projections, there would have been over 1.3 million registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon at the start of 2015. However, this reflects to registered Syrian refugees, it is estimated there are a further 800,000 - 1 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon who are not registered, the realistic numbers of Syrian refugees in Lebanon are projected to be in excess of 2 million which the Lebanese people also believe to be true.
This has had a major impact on the infrastructure of Lebanon which is greatly strained.
So where are these Syrian refugees in Lebanon? There are two main refugee camps in Lebanon the first is Shatila Refugee Camp and the second is The Ain al-Hiweh.
SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS IN LEBANON-UNHCR PROMISE OF RESETTLEMENT
Syrians who fled and still fleeing conflict continue to make up the majority of refugees in Lebanon. According to current projections, there would have been over 1.3 million registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon at the start of 2015. However, this reflects to registered Syrian refugees, it is estimated there are a further 800,000 - 1 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon who are not registered, the realistic numbers of Syrian refugees in Lebanon are projected to be in excess of 2 million which the Lebanese people also believe to be true.
This has had a major impact on the infrastructure of Lebanon which is greatly strained.
So where are these Syrian refugees in Lebanon? There are two main refugee camps in Lebanon the first is Shatila Refugee Camp and the second is The Ain al-Hiweh.
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Shatila Refugee Camp, also known as the Chatila refugee camp, is a refugee camp, originally set-up for Palestinian refugees in 1949. It is located in southern Beirut and houses more than 9,842 registered Palestine refugees.
Since the eruption of the terrorist acts against the Syrian Arab Republic and conflicts, the camp has swollen with Syrian refugees, receiving mostly the poorer Syrians, fleeing their country. As of 2014, the camp's population was estimated to be from 10,000 to 22,000, but these are unconfirmed figures Map of Shatila Refugee Camp
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Ain al-Hilweh Refugee Camp est. 1948 also spelled as Ayn al-Hilweh and Ein al-Hilweh, is the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon. It had a population of over 70,000 Palestinian refugees but swelled to nearly 120,000, as a result of influx of refugees from Syria since 2011. The camp is located west of the village Mieh Mieh.
These camps are decrepit and unsuitable for human occupancy as well as a constant danger of collapsing buildings, dangerous electricity open cables, poor sewage systems and terrible hygiene conditions.
Obviously, there are no refugee camps in Lebanon that can accommodate all Syrian refugees, Syrian refugees have had to spread themselves throughout Lebanon so as to find accommodation, making it very difficult for the hosting country to control or monitor Syrian refugees on its soil, although most are in Beirut.
Recent trip to Beirut by the URGC Global President Dr. H.E. C. Vassili witness Syrian families, some with newly born's and young children sleeping rough on the streets of Beirut, these proud Syrian's people have no choice but to live and sleep on the streets of Beirut, having no funds and left with no option but to beg on the streets with their children, also we saw children as young as five years old who were forced to beg for money or food and hovering outside street cafes or restaurants waiting for scraps to be left behind and watching for the opportunity to rush in and steel any scrap of food left behind on the plates, grabbing what they can and then rush away with what scraps they have managed to get their hands on. These were not isolated cases, it seemed to be wherever he traveled throughout Beirut.
Organised gangs also control Syrian street children who are forced to beg on the streets for money and bring back the spoils to the adult gang leaders, others use young young Syrian girls for prostitution. Many Syrian refugees are being focused on and victimized by criminals.
This ancient proud race of Syrian people reduced to living in such conditions has also effected the psyche of the Syrian refugees, as well as the psyche of the Lebanese people who have to live with this on a daily basis in their communities to the degree of which much resentment has emanated towards Syrians in Lebanon, whereby they are no longer welcomed by the locals and many very harshly treated by those who are very frustrated over the situation and Syrian refugees also feel unwelcome. This coexistence between the local Lebanese population and Syrian refugees has reached its boiling point and can erupt into major civil unrest.
The URGC Global President asked some Lebanese locals how they felt about the situation, in all cases the response was very negative, the Lebanese felt that their country and way of life has been invaded and disrupted and want the Syrian refugees out of their country. The Lebanese are not unsympathetic towards Syrian refugees, they simply feel they cannot live like that any longer. The Syrian refugees in Lebanon know, see and feel that they are no longer welcomed and want to return back to Syria but have no homes to return to.
The UN aid relief has been vital as well as life saving, much good work still continues by aid relief agencies, yet despite aid agencies applying their full attention and resources to the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, the conditions are are not improving, they are worsening. We must therefore question what must be done rather than what is being done, simply because what is being done is simply not sustainable and more innocent Syrian refugees continue to unnecessarily and unjustly suffer and the Lebanese population are also suffering from this situation.
Many will argue, 'What more can be done by the hosting government, UN and aid relief agencies, who are already doing everything they can? URGC will not argue that, we commend all aid relief agencies and hosting governments for what has been done and still is being done to aid Syrian refugees, but the fact and reality is that the aid relief applied can be compared to a bucket with a large hole at the bottom that no matter how much water you fill it up with and place in it, it will never fill the bucket, and until it is realized that unless the hole is repaired or the bucket is replaced, nothing will change or improve.
To better realize the crisis to Lebanon, its existing infrastructure, housing, health services, schools,water supply, food production, power supply, jobs and general economy has become greatly strained and unable to cope which has effected the lives of Lebanese people which has created much resentment against Syrian refugees, we must take a closer look at Lebanon's population which census show it to be 4.463.748 in 2015 of Lebanese citizens, now increase its population by almost 45% of Syrian refugees and then enter the mind frame of a Lebanese citizen. The Syrian refugee has suffered due to becoming a refugee and now faces greater hardships in its hosting country, hardships now also suffered and shared by the hosting country and its citizens.
If we take any nation in the world and increased its population by almost 45% within a space of 4 years, without any increases to its housing, education, health, food production, water and power supply or other infrastructure and further place an on-going financial burden upon the hosting government and aid relief agencies towards the sustaining of the increased population, then that nation is in crisis and headed towards disaster, this is Lebanon today.
Any nation that finds itself in such a situation will not nor cannot accommodate or survive a population increase of such magnitude in such a short space of time.
To add to this mass expansion of the population via Syria refugees, it is estimated that there are tens of thousands of stateless people in Lebanon. Syrian refugees born in Lebanon are particularly at risk of statelessness. In a 2014 survey of 5,779 Syrian newborns found that 72 percent do not possess an official birth certificate, raising concerns over the recognition of their nationality by the Syrian authorities, however, with the present Syrian refugee population in Lebanon it is estimated that new borns by Syrian refugees have greatly exceeded the 2014 survey of tens of thousands to possibly a hundred thousand or more of Syrian refugee births in Lebanon.
The hosting government, UN and international community is duty bound to resolve this issue as soon as possible, but what is the solution? there is only one solution, and that is for Syrian refugees to return back to Syria and there are safe areas for construction of new housing in industrial areas where socioeconomic development can also be applied. At present the hosting government of Lebanon and the UN both hold the bucket with a hole in it which they are constantly trying to fill, leading them to no sustainable solutions, this must change.
The hosting government and UN must realize that resettlement of Syrian refugees is the only solution to such crisis and resettlement requires immediate funding and action that cannot wait any longer, the longer such actions take to implement the higher the increase of Syrian refugees flow into Lebanon which creates a greater strain.
Many Syrian refugees approximately 1.3 - 1.4 million are registered in Lebanon as refugees, who fled Syria due to the conflict, although realistic figures have exceeded 2 million. This has created another hidden migration issue which is not often spoken about, one that will push the hosting government and UN as well as all other aid relief agencies into an unmanageable crisis, and that is the growing reality of Syrian migration from Syria to Lebanon to reunite with families and loved ones and those who wish to escape the economic and housing crisis in Syria. This steady on-flow of migrants who many will claim refugee or asylum status could within a few years or sooner push the Syrian refugee population almost to that equal of the Lebanese population, which is already creating much felt civil unrest. Many new Syrian migrants into Lebanon come with the assurance of finding accommodation with existing family members who are also Syrian refugees who have established a home/accommodation in Lebanon.
Without immediate funding being applied for new housing in Syria, hosting government and the UN will continue to carry the bucket with an even bigger hole in it.
Obviously, there are no refugee camps in Lebanon that can accommodate all Syrian refugees, Syrian refugees have had to spread themselves throughout Lebanon so as to find accommodation, making it very difficult for the hosting country to control or monitor Syrian refugees on its soil, although most are in Beirut.
Recent trip to Beirut by the URGC Global President Dr. H.E. C. Vassili witness Syrian families, some with newly born's and young children sleeping rough on the streets of Beirut, these proud Syrian's people have no choice but to live and sleep on the streets of Beirut, having no funds and left with no option but to beg on the streets with their children, also we saw children as young as five years old who were forced to beg for money or food and hovering outside street cafes or restaurants waiting for scraps to be left behind and watching for the opportunity to rush in and steel any scrap of food left behind on the plates, grabbing what they can and then rush away with what scraps they have managed to get their hands on. These were not isolated cases, it seemed to be wherever he traveled throughout Beirut.
Organised gangs also control Syrian street children who are forced to beg on the streets for money and bring back the spoils to the adult gang leaders, others use young young Syrian girls for prostitution. Many Syrian refugees are being focused on and victimized by criminals.
This ancient proud race of Syrian people reduced to living in such conditions has also effected the psyche of the Syrian refugees, as well as the psyche of the Lebanese people who have to live with this on a daily basis in their communities to the degree of which much resentment has emanated towards Syrians in Lebanon, whereby they are no longer welcomed by the locals and many very harshly treated by those who are very frustrated over the situation and Syrian refugees also feel unwelcome. This coexistence between the local Lebanese population and Syrian refugees has reached its boiling point and can erupt into major civil unrest.
The URGC Global President asked some Lebanese locals how they felt about the situation, in all cases the response was very negative, the Lebanese felt that their country and way of life has been invaded and disrupted and want the Syrian refugees out of their country. The Lebanese are not unsympathetic towards Syrian refugees, they simply feel they cannot live like that any longer. The Syrian refugees in Lebanon know, see and feel that they are no longer welcomed and want to return back to Syria but have no homes to return to.
The UN aid relief has been vital as well as life saving, much good work still continues by aid relief agencies, yet despite aid agencies applying their full attention and resources to the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, the conditions are are not improving, they are worsening. We must therefore question what must be done rather than what is being done, simply because what is being done is simply not sustainable and more innocent Syrian refugees continue to unnecessarily and unjustly suffer and the Lebanese population are also suffering from this situation.
Many will argue, 'What more can be done by the hosting government, UN and aid relief agencies, who are already doing everything they can? URGC will not argue that, we commend all aid relief agencies and hosting governments for what has been done and still is being done to aid Syrian refugees, but the fact and reality is that the aid relief applied can be compared to a bucket with a large hole at the bottom that no matter how much water you fill it up with and place in it, it will never fill the bucket, and until it is realized that unless the hole is repaired or the bucket is replaced, nothing will change or improve.
To better realize the crisis to Lebanon, its existing infrastructure, housing, health services, schools,water supply, food production, power supply, jobs and general economy has become greatly strained and unable to cope which has effected the lives of Lebanese people which has created much resentment against Syrian refugees, we must take a closer look at Lebanon's population which census show it to be 4.463.748 in 2015 of Lebanese citizens, now increase its population by almost 45% of Syrian refugees and then enter the mind frame of a Lebanese citizen. The Syrian refugee has suffered due to becoming a refugee and now faces greater hardships in its hosting country, hardships now also suffered and shared by the hosting country and its citizens.
If we take any nation in the world and increased its population by almost 45% within a space of 4 years, without any increases to its housing, education, health, food production, water and power supply or other infrastructure and further place an on-going financial burden upon the hosting government and aid relief agencies towards the sustaining of the increased population, then that nation is in crisis and headed towards disaster, this is Lebanon today.
Any nation that finds itself in such a situation will not nor cannot accommodate or survive a population increase of such magnitude in such a short space of time.
To add to this mass expansion of the population via Syria refugees, it is estimated that there are tens of thousands of stateless people in Lebanon. Syrian refugees born in Lebanon are particularly at risk of statelessness. In a 2014 survey of 5,779 Syrian newborns found that 72 percent do not possess an official birth certificate, raising concerns over the recognition of their nationality by the Syrian authorities, however, with the present Syrian refugee population in Lebanon it is estimated that new borns by Syrian refugees have greatly exceeded the 2014 survey of tens of thousands to possibly a hundred thousand or more of Syrian refugee births in Lebanon.
The hosting government, UN and international community is duty bound to resolve this issue as soon as possible, but what is the solution? there is only one solution, and that is for Syrian refugees to return back to Syria and there are safe areas for construction of new housing in industrial areas where socioeconomic development can also be applied. At present the hosting government of Lebanon and the UN both hold the bucket with a hole in it which they are constantly trying to fill, leading them to no sustainable solutions, this must change.
The hosting government and UN must realize that resettlement of Syrian refugees is the only solution to such crisis and resettlement requires immediate funding and action that cannot wait any longer, the longer such actions take to implement the higher the increase of Syrian refugees flow into Lebanon which creates a greater strain.
Many Syrian refugees approximately 1.3 - 1.4 million are registered in Lebanon as refugees, who fled Syria due to the conflict, although realistic figures have exceeded 2 million. This has created another hidden migration issue which is not often spoken about, one that will push the hosting government and UN as well as all other aid relief agencies into an unmanageable crisis, and that is the growing reality of Syrian migration from Syria to Lebanon to reunite with families and loved ones and those who wish to escape the economic and housing crisis in Syria. This steady on-flow of migrants who many will claim refugee or asylum status could within a few years or sooner push the Syrian refugee population almost to that equal of the Lebanese population, which is already creating much felt civil unrest. Many new Syrian migrants into Lebanon come with the assurance of finding accommodation with existing family members who are also Syrian refugees who have established a home/accommodation in Lebanon.
Without immediate funding being applied for new housing in Syria, hosting government and the UN will continue to carry the bucket with an even bigger hole in it.
Common images of Syrian refugees in throughout Beirut
UNHCR together with its partners, will support host communities and authorities to mitigate the direct impact of the presence of the Syrian refugees in order to ensure a more favorable protection environment. UNHCR supports the Government of Lebanon in improving central and local actors' ability to provide refugees with basic services, as well as to prevent statelessness in Lebanon. Finding solutions outside of Lebanon for the most vulnerable refugees will remain UNHCR priority.
UNHCR further states that it will focus its activities on the overall coordination of the Syrian refugee crisis; registration; protection monitoring and outreach activities; resettlement and humanitarian admission; provision of cash grants, shelter and access to health and education.
The commitment of UNHCR is beyond commendable, however, it expresses on focusing upon the overall coordination of Syrian refugees, we cannot understand how this is being achieved when Syrian refugees are far more then the UNHCR recorded Syrian refugees and furthermore are have spread nationwide in Lebanon in unregistered locations, nor do we fully understand what is actually being done in regards to resettlement of Syrian refugees, we all know this has not taken place since the Syrian war started against terror, we have seen no signs or plans expressed by the hosting government or UNHCR to express any physically applied resettlement plans for Syrian refugees. What we have realistically seen is an increase of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and a continual growth of stateless Syrian newborns, as well as a steady flow of on-going migration of Syrian refugees to Lebanon who are not fleeing from the war but due to lack of housing, lack of food production and lack of socioeconomic infrastructure.
Are we to try to resolve the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon by not accepting the present realities of Syrian refugee crisis in or by looking and facing the realities and applying immediate physical action towards applying funding of new housing and infrastructure in designated safe areas of Syria so as to encourage resettlement and relieve the strain upon the hosting government of Lebanon, UNHCR and its partners?
Syrian refugees, like the Lebanese in local communities are most affected by the influx, and have become increasingly more vulnerable, despite the large-scale inter-agency response to date. Humanitarian needs show little signs of abating the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon. As the Syrian refugees displacement extends more nationwide in Lebanon and increase in numbers on a daily basis and with Syrian refugee personal funds or savings quickly depleted, refugees' socioeconomic vulnerability increases and quickly turns to crisis which the hosting government, UNHCR and its partners have to bare the cost as well extend an already stretch logistical aid response and more importantly extend an already stretched and fast depleting aid budget. This type of situation leads to social and civil unrest and further is fertile ground for crime.
The hole in the bucket continues to expand for the hosting government of Lebanon, UNHCR and its partners and unless immediate funding is applied towards resettlement of Syrian refugees this will continue to not only strain aid resources and aid outreach logistics but also will lead to sparking major civil unrest between Syrian refugees and locals Lebanese communities.
Resettlement of Syrian refugees is a sustainable economic solution to the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon, so why has it yet to be funded and physically applied, especially when UNHCR clearly states, that it focuses upon resettlement? this is a question that only UNHCR can answer. In the meantime the numbers of Syrian refugees will continue to grow and aid resources will continue to become even more strained, more and more Syrian refugee families will take up more street pavement space for them to sleep on, more Syrian refugees will continue to be abused and victimized by criminals, stateless refugee children will continue to be born on a daily basis, whilst local communities become even more frustrated and surely pushed towards a breaking point. This sounds like a national ticking time bomb ready to explode at any moment, that's because it is, and the fuse that lit it, is called lack of immediate physical action towards resettlement programs being implemented.
A Syrian refugee is still a Syrian, and no matter his/her status, Syrian's pride, honor, morality, dignity and national pride is their core foundation that holds them strong. The Syrian refugees in Lebanon are mostly highly educated and skilled people who sit in waiting to resettle back in their homeland, they no longer want to sit in waiting in a country where they now feel they have outstayed their welcome and in many communities they are no longer welcomed. They want to go home, and they sit in waiting for UNHCR to physically fulfill its focus upon resettlement and not just in promise that still has yet to materialize, but for many Syrian refugees and Lebanese people, their patients has run-out.
Delays in applying Syrian refugee resettlement programs has contributed to the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon. UNHCR needs to refocus on resettlement and physically act upon this without further delay.
UNHCR further states that it will focus its activities on the overall coordination of the Syrian refugee crisis; registration; protection monitoring and outreach activities; resettlement and humanitarian admission; provision of cash grants, shelter and access to health and education.
The commitment of UNHCR is beyond commendable, however, it expresses on focusing upon the overall coordination of Syrian refugees, we cannot understand how this is being achieved when Syrian refugees are far more then the UNHCR recorded Syrian refugees and furthermore are have spread nationwide in Lebanon in unregistered locations, nor do we fully understand what is actually being done in regards to resettlement of Syrian refugees, we all know this has not taken place since the Syrian war started against terror, we have seen no signs or plans expressed by the hosting government or UNHCR to express any physically applied resettlement plans for Syrian refugees. What we have realistically seen is an increase of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and a continual growth of stateless Syrian newborns, as well as a steady flow of on-going migration of Syrian refugees to Lebanon who are not fleeing from the war but due to lack of housing, lack of food production and lack of socioeconomic infrastructure.
Are we to try to resolve the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon by not accepting the present realities of Syrian refugee crisis in or by looking and facing the realities and applying immediate physical action towards applying funding of new housing and infrastructure in designated safe areas of Syria so as to encourage resettlement and relieve the strain upon the hosting government of Lebanon, UNHCR and its partners?
Syrian refugees, like the Lebanese in local communities are most affected by the influx, and have become increasingly more vulnerable, despite the large-scale inter-agency response to date. Humanitarian needs show little signs of abating the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon. As the Syrian refugees displacement extends more nationwide in Lebanon and increase in numbers on a daily basis and with Syrian refugee personal funds or savings quickly depleted, refugees' socioeconomic vulnerability increases and quickly turns to crisis which the hosting government, UNHCR and its partners have to bare the cost as well extend an already stretch logistical aid response and more importantly extend an already stretched and fast depleting aid budget. This type of situation leads to social and civil unrest and further is fertile ground for crime.
The hole in the bucket continues to expand for the hosting government of Lebanon, UNHCR and its partners and unless immediate funding is applied towards resettlement of Syrian refugees this will continue to not only strain aid resources and aid outreach logistics but also will lead to sparking major civil unrest between Syrian refugees and locals Lebanese communities.
Resettlement of Syrian refugees is a sustainable economic solution to the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon, so why has it yet to be funded and physically applied, especially when UNHCR clearly states, that it focuses upon resettlement? this is a question that only UNHCR can answer. In the meantime the numbers of Syrian refugees will continue to grow and aid resources will continue to become even more strained, more and more Syrian refugee families will take up more street pavement space for them to sleep on, more Syrian refugees will continue to be abused and victimized by criminals, stateless refugee children will continue to be born on a daily basis, whilst local communities become even more frustrated and surely pushed towards a breaking point. This sounds like a national ticking time bomb ready to explode at any moment, that's because it is, and the fuse that lit it, is called lack of immediate physical action towards resettlement programs being implemented.
A Syrian refugee is still a Syrian, and no matter his/her status, Syrian's pride, honor, morality, dignity and national pride is their core foundation that holds them strong. The Syrian refugees in Lebanon are mostly highly educated and skilled people who sit in waiting to resettle back in their homeland, they no longer want to sit in waiting in a country where they now feel they have outstayed their welcome and in many communities they are no longer welcomed. They want to go home, and they sit in waiting for UNHCR to physically fulfill its focus upon resettlement and not just in promise that still has yet to materialize, but for many Syrian refugees and Lebanese people, their patients has run-out.
Delays in applying Syrian refugee resettlement programs has contributed to the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon. UNHCR needs to refocus on resettlement and physically act upon this without further delay.
