Refugee Families affected by COVID 19 Pandemic

Background during and after the implementation of the project;

Lebanon, which shares a border with Syria, has an estimated 1.1 million refugees, both Syrian refugees and about 450,000 Palestinian refugees, many of whom were born in Lebanon and have been displaced. With a total population of only 4.4 million, the massive 25% increase means a strain on already deteriorating resources and space as well as an overall impact.

Walking into a refugee camp is like walking into a desperately overcrowded slum. The camps are only one kilometer long and accommodate between 25,000 and 37,000 people. Refugees struggle for even the most basic of needs. For electricity, families must string live wires to dozens of other wires, above the tiny walkways around the settlements. Every few weeks, someone gets electrocuted. Many houses are about to collapse, and most people needing care are not able to access hospital treatment. Those most seriously ill die.

Conditions in the camps are extremely challenging, with no clean water and high rates of violence against women and children. Inhabitants of the camps are in constant danger from exposed live electrical wires, a daily threat as the government refuses to supply electricity to the camps. Many refugees cannot get jobs. They are excluded from about 70 jobs including taxi drivers, according to Global Fund for Women grantee partners Tadamon and Palestinian Women’s Humanitarian Organization, leaving primarily menial labor like plumbing, cleaning, or construction available to them. Lebanese law does not extend citizenship rights to Palestinians or Syrians living in the country, limiting access to public healthcare and education in addition to jobs and increasing social harassment and stigma for refugees.

Naba’a Achievements; During the last period,  The most highlighted achievements during the last period;

-          We at Naba’a are doing all we can to help all affected communities during this extraordinary crisis. Our assistance efforts go to all: Lebanese, refugees and others who were affected without distinction. The devastating impact of the explosion is compounding the challenges currently faced by Lebanese and refugees and adding even more difficulties as families were struggling to survive with the economic crisis that was exacerbated by the impact of COVID-19.

-          Naba’a provided cash assistance for 283 family distributed as 225 in Borj Hammoud and 58 in khandaa along with distributing disinfection / hygiene kits for 1050 families in Beirut and south. Where 150 families in Ein EL Helwi, El Buss, Burj Al shamali and Rachidie camps received hygiene kits in addition to 900 families in Beirut. As for food kits, 225 families in Mie and Mie area and Saida al Balad have provided with Food kits as well as 75 families in Ein El Helwe. Whereas, 306 families in Beirut have received food kits and distributed as 306 families in Khandaa in 900 in Borj Hammoud.

• 1120 parents and caregivers motivated to be engaged in their children learning and well-being.
• Around 2400  Youth and adolescents (70% females) involved in the life skills program including different topics such as (Communication skills, leader ship skills, how to protect themselves from abuse, reproductive health, peer to peer, human rights, child rights, women rights, etc…).
• Nabaa’ provided inclusive education for 3210 boys and girls of school age (6-12 years) in the Palestinian camps and Syrian gatherings in Lebanon (Tripoli, Saida, Tyre, Nabatieh) “In line with UNRWA's educational reform and MEHE curriculum to support the education of refugees children from Syria, Palestinians or Syrians.
• Children and women have been targeted in psychosocial activities as the following, 3051 children (males and females)and 550 parents most of them are women, including, vulnerable Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian refugees. Whereas, in Borj Al Shamali camp 555 children (males and females and 220 parents including (Lebanese, Syrian Refugees and Palestinian refugees).
• It is worthy to note that, two child friendly psychosocial spaces were established at two UNRWA clinics (one in Ein El Helweh and one in Wadi El Zeni), where 2350 children whom their families access UNRWA clinics participated and joined the activities in these spaces.

Case Study;

Code:KS

-Date of birth:1980

-Gender: Female

- Nationality: Lebanese

-Address: Beirut – BorjHamoud

-Hobbies: Sport

-Family member: 4

-Status: Divorced

*About the life of the beneficiary:

-          KS born in 1980, she is divorced and she has 3 children and she supports them. She works in clothes store. She got married at 20 age and she didn’t continue her education because of the bad economic situation of her family so she obliged to work in an early age to help her family with the basic needs in the house. After her marriage, the husband was very bad with KS and with her children, her husband used violence with them also the husband obliged her to spend all her salary on the house and on him, so she was forced into a consensual divorce (he leave her)because of the over economic and psychological burdens on her, now she works in a store for buying clothes to take care of her children and to support them. Her ex-husband doesn’t visit her, he doesn’t interfere with her and with his children, also he changed his religion to marry another woman. Then KS rented a house and she moved with her children to get rid of the stress. Note that her current situation is very bad because she carried all the responsibilities in the house (rent of the house – electricity – food - water – all basic needs for the children and for the house). Now she feels comfortable because she is far away from her ex-husband and his behaviors that were affected badly on her and on the children.

-           

*Economic Situation:

The economic situation is very bad because the beneficiary obliged to decrease from the basic needs(food and clothes), besides she can’t insure school tools and daily needs for her children, also after the blast her salary decreased to 600,000L.L.  because the sale reduced, she paid 300,000L.L. for the rent of the house, 100,00L.L. for the electricity, so 200,000L.L. remained with her and this amount is not sufficient for the basic needs in the house.

*Health Situation:

Very good

*Social Situation:

-The relation between the mother and her children: very good, she communicates with them and she understands them.

-The relation between the mother and her husband: she is divorced, she doesn’t communicate with him, she doesn’t mention him with bad things (according to her speech).

*The problem that the beneficiary is currently suffering from:

-She suffers from constant crying.

- She suffers from stress and fear from the current situation (blast- bad economic situation)-

*Data Collection:

- Individual sessions with the beneficiary.

*Intervention:

-Supply the beneficiary with the map for some organizations that can help her cash or food assistance.

-Supply the beneficiary with food assistance from the organization.

-PSS for the beneficiary.

*Recommendations:

-Refer the beneficiary to the PSS sessions inside our organization.

-Refer the children of the beneficiary to the PSS activities sessions inside our organization.

-Put the beneficiary in the hardship regulation list to support her economical and psychologi

Links:

• Naba'a website

Background during and after the implementation of the project;

It became clear how fragile the health system was in most countries of the world, including those that were ranked advanced in various fields. The general situation in Lebanon is ominous, with political divisions, economic collapse, the debt payments of foreign debt and the great benefit in the face of the Corona epidemic. Lebanon has recorded 1946 cases of coronavirus (last update 10^th July 2020), which has caused 24 deaths in the country so far. The rates of commitment to prevent mixing and leaving houses vary from region to region where life seems very normal in most areas in terms of large numbers of people in the street and banks! The daily report shared by the Ministry of Health shows that the number of tests achieved until today reaches 10,808 while Lebanon is receiving 4 flights from outside including Lebanese students, special cases especially from the countries that categories as epidemic countries!

The population of Lebanon is around 5 million including 274.000 Palestinian refugees and around 950.000 Syrian refugees. during the spread of COIV – 19, the government has taken a safety measures including the block down ,but at the same time serving the Lebanese citizens without including refugees in its social fund that aims to encourage citizens to quarantine at home by them self .

The Syrian refugees are on the mandate of the UNHCR while the Palestinian refugees are exclusively served by The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Lebanon hosts the highest number of refugees per capita in the world. UNHCR estimates approximately 1 million and half displaced people in need across the country and having a very strict restrictions on   entering the country since 2015, as well as hundreds of thousands of long-term Palestinian refugees and asylum-seekers.[1]

Lebanon is starting to ease lockdown-related restrictions after significant social pressure. The deterioration of the economic situation has accelerated and “hunger” protests take place, as labelled by the media. Refugees have been subject to additional municipal – level movement restrictions and are particularly affected by the lack of access of basic services. According to Action Against Hunger assessment done by 130 headed household person showed 88% of a large increase in requests for food assistance and cash assistance.

Naba’a Achievements; During the last period, The most highlighted achievements during the last period;

-          Providing online psychosocial support for women and girls whom are at risk gender based violence, including, vulnerable Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian refugees. Whereas, in Ein El helweh camp 320 adolescent girls and 220 women

-          Distribution food parcels for 200 families

-          Distribution Hygiene and disinfection kits for 170 families

-          Provision remote GBV specially case management and PSS and establishment of adequate referrals to connect women and girls to appropriate service provision

-          Referring women and girls whom are at risk of violence and abuse to psychosocial support, legal aid, etc…

-          Distributing toys for 75 children whom are in quarantine

Case study;

The wife lives with her husband and her three daughters (9-7-5) years old; they are living on rent in a house consisted of two rooms. The wife has many problems including social, economic, and psychological, due to economic situation where the husband does not work because he suffers from cardiovascular and disk diseases, which negatively affects the economic situation where the family depends on local and international assistance. The wife was working as a housekeeper, but after the coronavirus outbreak and the general situation in the country, she was laid off from work, which increased the stress and anxiety among her family, especially her children, where there is no breadwinner. As for the house, it is unsafe and dangerous for children, but they can’t move out due to the low rent.

The family suffers from health and psychological disorders due to the sluggish economic growth that the family is experiencing.

- Economic situation: underprivileged- where the husband does not work and the mother was laid off from work as we mentioned earlier, they live on rent, they don’t have furniture, no heating or even covers for winter, so we find that there is slow growth in the economic situation, sometimes they receive aid, but it is not enough for their daily expenses and needs.

- Health status: Mother: the health condition is good, but the children suffer from breathing problems (asthma) due to humidity at home.

Problems experienced by the family:

- The economic situation is getting from bad to worse, sometimes they can’t provide children's needs. For instance, food, drink, clothes and often there is no food at home. Which negatively affects the psychological situation like insomnia, lack of eating, fear on her children, anxiety, and panic.

Data collection: from the mother during individual sessions and from home visits.

Intervention:

Transferred the family into the food aid department where we provided them with a food parcel to satisfy family needs.

Provided material assistance to meet the needs of the family, especially children.

Psychosocial by integrating children into psychosocial support activities. Transfer the mother into psychological follow-up to relieve anxiety and stress and thinking positively.

Integrating the mother into psychological support activities for discharge and awareness on how to cope with pressures and positive parenting.

Recommendations:

• Follow-up with home visits

• Follow-up family’s case with social worker

• Transfer mother to a psychologist

[1]https://helprefugees.org/lebanon/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMInc-TgeeY5AIVyLHtCh0qdgA_EAAYAyAAEgIaDPD_BwE

Links:

• Naba'a website