Humanitarian and political context

The 25 year long civil war in Lebanon ended in 1990 but it’s devastating effects are still present. National and regional ongoing tension and violence characterise the country’s humanitarian and political context.

Palestinian refugees

Palestinians in Lebanon remain underprivileged, isolated, and excluded by law from enjoyment of a range of human and civil rights. The complex political and historical context related to the presence of the Palestinians in Lebanon is at the core of today’s exclusion, discrimination and lack of legal and de facto protection.

According to UNRWA statistics from 2008, there are 416,000 registered Palestinian refugees and 220.809 of them reside in the twelve official camps that are spread across the country. The land area allocated to the 12 official camps in Lebanon has remained largely unchanged since 1948, despite the growth in the number of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. The result is chronic overcrowding that worsens yearly and the creation of “informal Palestinian gatherings” that are mainly located in the outskirts of the camps. It is estimated that 40% of registered Palestinians live in informal gatherings.

 In many cases refugees living in the “informal gatherings”, have worse living conditions than those living in the camps since they do not have access to all services provided by UNRWA.  In response, NRC Lebanon prioritises these areas for intervention. 

Due to the Palestinians’ stateless situation, legal discrimination on the labour and housing market exempts them from a range of civic rights, contributing to overall destitute living conditions.

Another issue of concern is the particular vulnerability of the Palestinian youth. With increasing levels of dropouts from schools, lack of job opportunities and limited access to recreational activities, involvement in various militia groups is commonplace. Increasing acts of violence in the camps and gatherings has resulted in fear of another conflict similar to the one in Nahr el-Bared in 2007.

Iraqi refugees

The exact number of Iraqi refugees in Lebanon is uncertain. Estimates are between 40,000 and 50,000 according to the last UNHCR survey that was carried out in 2007. It is believed that the actual figure is considerably lower.

 Achieving durable solutions continues to be impossible for Iraqi refugees seeking refuge in Lebanon. Additionally, uncertainty regarding status within Lebanon raises protection concerns and heightens legitimate refugee fears concerning safety and well-being. In regards to return, security continues to be a deterrent.

In terms of resettlement, there was a steady increase in the numbers resettled throughout 2008 and 2009, but the numbers of refugees seeking resettlement are superior to the quotas presently available. Iraqis entering Lebanon seems to be more or less steady – approx. 50 families per month, all mainly Christians, who are being targeted in Iraq.

Local integration is not a viable solution in Lebanon since Lebanon does not consider itself an asylum country and has very strong reservations about acceding the 1951 Refugee Convention / 1967 protocol.

Other refugees and economic migrants

Additional vulnerable groups of people include Kurdish and Sudanese refugees and a large number of economic migrants, mainly entering as female domestic workers prone to exploitation and abuse.

NRC priorities and programme implementation

NRC established its presence in Lebanon during the early days of the war in July / August 2006. While initially focusing on refugee camp management training for local personnel, the main focus shifted towards shelter activities after the ceasefire. Having contributed to the return process of the Lebanese displaced, NRC is now concentrating on support to Palestinian refugees in cooperation with UNRWA. NRC is also continuing the education support for Iraqi refugee youth in 2010.

The coming year programs will focus on supporting UNRWA education activities and upgrading of shelters, including Environmental sustainability and including construction of 103 houses, one Mosque and one community centre in the adjacent areas of Nahr el-Bared camp and rehabilitation of houses in several gatherings. NRC has been working on introducing new relevant core activities, such as ICLA and camp management. An ICLA assessment took place in February and the office is currently fundraising for start up.

NRC has also carried out a camp management assessment this year. Based on this, two camp management trainings were conducted in April and May and one is planned for mid July, for all relevant stakeholders, including UNRWA, UNRC, popular committees, community members, LPDC, NRC employees, PHRO. Depending on the feedback and evaluation of these trainings and not least, availability of funding a camp management project may be started.

Education

The main objective is to support UNRWA to provide high quality education to Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

In 2009 NRC initiated cooperation with UNRWA on teacher training and is currently implementing a project focusing on child centred methodologies, promoting creativity and active learning in the classroom. The feedback from UNRWA has been positive and NRC has been asked to continue its support to UNRWA schools. A general MoU on education has been signed between NRC and UNRWA, reinforcing their partnership on education. In 2010-2011, NRC will intervene in 5 schools selected by UNRWA education department in Nahr el Bared and Ein Helweh camps. The identified schools are facing considerable problems of students’ performance due to both internal and external factors affecting the learning process. NRC will therefore broaden its services, by working with students, parents and teachers, on quality education, protection and gender issues.

NRC established an emergency education project to facilitate enrolment of Iraqi refugee children in Lebanese schools in 2007, but the need to offer alternatives to youth soon became a priority. To date Iraqi refugee children and youth have been assisted through an accelerated learning program and life skills training. In 2010-2011, NRC will assist Iraqi refugees in Sid El Bouchrieh (Greater Beirut, area, where most of the Christian Iraqi refugees are living) though a community education centre offering life skills and vocational skills to youth and adults. At the same time, NRC will intervene in Roumieh prison with a local partner (AJEM), to offer classes of English, Arabic, Computer, Music, Art and Calligraphy to Iraqi, Sudanese and Palestinian detainees.

Shelter

NRC has since the end of the July/August 2006 war conducted shelter repair in villages in Southern Lebanon, aimed at facilitating the IDP return process. NRC Lebanon has repaired 3025 Lebanese houses in South Lebanon by July 2008.

NRC also takes part in the inter-agency efforts to provide shelter to Palestinian refugees and Lebanese families returning to the Nahr al-Bared camp north of Tripoli. To date 3600 displaced families from Nahr al-Bared have been assisted to return and to live in dignity through emergency repairs, waterproofing, stabilization, internal rehabilitation of kitchens and toilets and distribution of winterization kits.

NRC has also rehabilitated the Gaza compound, a Palestinian gathering located in the heart of Beirut, which houses 242 families.

In the Shelter and NFI sectors, NRC has assisted more than 18000 Palestinians in the gatherings of Lebanon. Included in these are the 428 shelter units that were rehabilitated.

Environmental sustainability promotion

NRC have secured funds from SIDA to promote environmentally sustainable technologies through installing solar water heater systems and floats valves to the water tanks in Nahr al-Bared adjacent area, thereby saving more than 1 million litres of drinking water per day.

Advocacy

Two main advocacy objectives have been identified:

·         To improve governance structures in Palestinian camps (camp management activities, either as a separate project or included in education and shelter)

·         To improve tenure security for Palestinians (through planned ICLA project)