Refugee Families affected by COVID 19 Pandemic

Background during and after the implementation of the project;

Since the med of 2019 up to now the whole life in Lebanon seems to be very challenging, the demonstrations against the government and the long history of corruption, the financial crises, and finally Covid19!

Lebanon has recorded 8442 cases of coronavirus, which has caused 97 deaths in the country so far. Lebanon had already been experiencing a second rise in coronavirus cases, with weekly numbers rising to levels not seen since the first onset of the pandemic.

Authorities recorded the highest daily increase since the first case was confirmed in February last week, with 279 new coronavirus cases on Friday.

Fears have also been raised over the potential for rapid transmission of the virus in densely population Syrian and Palestinian refugee camps in the country, but until Tuesday no cases had been officially reported in Ain al-Hilweh, which is home to an estimated 120,000 refugees close to the Lebanese city of Sidon.

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).

UN reports state that 80% of the 215,000 Syrian households in Lebanon are existing below the poverty line and more than half live in sub-standard conditions in overcrowded buildings and abandoned warehouses. Amnesty International has reported that Syrian refugees within Lebanon are experiencing an “increasingly hostile and xenophobic environment”.

While According to UNHCR, the number of registered refuges reaches 1500.000 individuals[1] distributed all over Lebanon; 35% are in North Lebanon, 34% in Bekaa, 18% in Beirut and 13 % in southern Lebanon and more than 87000 are on the waiting lists.

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

-          Distance learning is one of methods applied by most NGOs, Governmental schools UNRWA and INGOs in working with children and parents from the beginning of March until now (med April 2020), while we are now in the phase of evaluating that experience to plan for May.:
we are new to this method , but trying to find our way without doing Harm , investing in the training conducted by the partners ( SCI – UNICEF .. ) ensuring better educational opportunities for children during COVID – 19 pandemics

-          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 555 adolescent girls and 220 women

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

-          Providing food parcels for 50 refugee families whom are diseased by Corona virus and in quarantine.

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

Case study

Name: B.I

1. Reasons for performing this case study:

ü  Bad economic situation

ü  Threatened by dropout from school

ü  Abused by her fiancé

1. What happened?

Her family consists of seven members;. She is 15 years old. They suffer from poverty especially after her father’s death when she was at the age of 12., so she was forced to dropout from school. Her educational level was good and her dream was to become a chef, but her family’s economic situation was bad, which affected her dream.

That is all what she said when we visited her for the first time at home and asked her about the profession that she wants to learn.

1. When did it happen (the most recent incident if happened more than once)?

At the time of her participation in the project’s workshops about GBV, Protection and risks of early marriage, she told social worker about her engagement. When she was 17 years old, she got engaged to her cousin who was 24 years old. She said that, at the beginning of the relationship, her fiancé was good, but when his family interfered and talked about her poverty, she felt psychological pressures. They were talking and arguing about her family all the time without even hearing their decisions. Plus, they tried to control her, which increased the psychological stress that lead her to breakup.

1. How did it affect the young girl, and what was the outcome?

After her breakup, her family supported and helped her to feel better which affected positively on her psychological state. When we started the activities, she had recently broken up with her fiancé., we helped her to put a new plan for her life and start to achieve her dreams. After that, she studied to become a Pastry Chef and tried to teach some children at home to help her family financially. Now she is knowledgeable about relationships, and thanks to her participation in the workshops and awareness-raising sessions she became totally aware of her future relationships.

1. Was there any Follow-up?

We always follow-up on her through activities such as lesson follow-up, in addition to encouraging her to have ideas, then we discuss the project topics with her in addition to her personal life.

[1] The communicated number from the ministry of foreign affairs is exceeding these figures!

Links:

• Naba'a website