Refugee Families affected by COVID 19 Pandemic

Background; 

The humanitarian situation in Lebanon in general and in the refugee camps in particular continues to worsen, triggering increased poverty and despair. The economic collapse ranks among the worst globally in modern times. It has caused severe inflation and unemployment, putting basic living costs out of reach for tens of thousands of people and resulting in acute humanitarian needs. According to UNRWA protection report, the worsening socio-economic situation in Lebanon has put 93 percent of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon below the poverty line .The protection situation of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon in 2023 continued to be heavily affected by the ongoing socio-economic crisis, political instability, and financial strains and there is an increase in the number of child labor, working in informal and unregulated jobs, or ending up on the streets collecting garbage and begging all over the country, and across all population groups. Nine percent of families residing in Lebanon sent their child to work, 15 percent stopped their children’s education and 60 percent had to buy food on credit or borrow money.

Moreover Children's life have been badly influenced by the crisis in Lebanon, which has affected family ties, education, health, welfare, and poverty. According to UNICEF research, the effects of multidimensional child poverty extend well beyond issues related to health, work, and income. Although children have a strong awareness of their rights, there have also been detrimental effects in family dynamics, such as guilt and regret. These hardships have a substantial negative influence on mental health, and children's access to protection has been hampered by rising rates of violence and unsafe conditions.

Additionally, the aggression of the armed battles that happened since the end of July 2023 until September 2023 in En El Hilweh camp has been extending and inflicting displacement, trauma, injuries, fatalities, and instabilities. During the two rounds of violent battles, stray missiles and bullets, as well as random bombardments, have been unstoppably damaging dwellings and resources, endangering people lives, and resulting in continual waves of evacuation from the camp to emergency facilities. More than 2568 families have been displaced from their homes to mosques, UNRWA schools that have been turned into emergency centers, warehouses, gatherings, and others have resorted to relative’s houses in Saida and surrounding areas because of the destructive bombardments, random missiles, and unanswered calls for mercy. More over the bad security situation in south also affects children and households with serious impacts that go well beyond traditional measures (i.e., lack of income, shelter, employment, health, etc. also its changing family dynamics, damage to the parent/ child relationship, mental health, and future aspirations. It is clear that Lebanon is facing a childhood emergency that will have long-term consequences on children and the country as a whole.

Achievements; 

• Nabaa team responded to the family needs especially the refugees and most vulnerable people who lived in EEHC and Rashidieh camps and provide them with their needs especially safe space, food, educational kits, and clothes to prevent their drop out focusing to all children aged from 4 to 12 years old.
• Nabaa accommodated the needs of the children, providing them with learning support on various subjects Math, English and science. Nabaa complemented this support with uniform, bag and educational kits, which included pencils, files, books, etc.
• Also Nabaa worked with the families of the children providing them with Psycho-social Support activities and awareness sessions on various topics based on their needs and requests their mental health situation which deteriorated and simultaneously affected their family dynamics and their interaction with their children has been noted by our outreach team. 

• Better educational opportunities available to the most vulnerable children and adolescents included within sponsorship program enrolled in UNRWA schools in both camps

  Indicators:

• 250 children attending Nabaa supporting classes.

• At least 75% children achieving good results at unrwa schools

• Refer 20 children dropouts of school children per year to vocational training canters. While covering their fees, transportation and needed stationary will be done internally through Nabaa programs or through the referral mechanism with other local partners

• Case Study; 

• J. M is a Palestinian refugee aged 6 years old who lives in an EEHC camp with his parents. At the beginning of the academic year, his mother registered him to receive learning support. But during attending educational classes, the teacher observed a psychological symptom (being alone and unable to accept his classmates). So the teacher referred him to Nabaa psychologist, and after the home visit was done . J's mother informed that, based on medical detection, he has first-degree autism, and she was frightened to deny him registration. However, the psychologist informed his mother that all children are treated equally and her son would still receive learning support along with a psychosocial plan to help him integrate with his peers and accept others.

  1. So during mid-year, the teacher observed improvement in his behaviour, and he started accepting others improvements in his educational performance.

Links:

• Naba'a Website