UN Inter-Agency Response for Syrian Refugees

UN Inter-Agency Response for Syrian Refugees, 16-23 November 2012 Highlights of the week UNHCR registered 6,841 refugees this week; وزارة الشؤو اإلجتماعية The Government will resume joint registration with UNHCR through the Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA); Over 47,000 people benefited from food vouchers, winterization items, hygiene and baby kits this week through UNHCR, WFP, DRC, World Vision (WVI), the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Caritas Lebanon Migrant Centre (CLMC), Makhzoumi Foundation and UNICEF efforts as part of the November round of distribution; UNHCR, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), Premiere Urgence-Aide Medicale Internationale (PU-AMI) and partners accelerated the implementation of shelter solutions for refugees as temperatures continue to drop in north and east Lebanon; وزارة الشؤو اإلجتماعية Premiere Urgence (PU-AMI) and Action Contre La Faim (ACF) started different water, sanitation and hygiene projects in north, east and south Lebanon including the establishment of a water source, tanks, pipelines, latrines and showers in collective shelters and tented settlements; Over 8,000 Syrian refugee children have enrolled in Lebanese public schools across Lebanon so far. 1

Registration and New Arrivals The Goverment will soon resume joint registration with UNHCR through the Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA). Plans are also underway to enhance identification of refugees and to review and revise assistance criteria jointly with MOSA, HRC and relevant partners. The number of Syrians receiving protection and assistance in Lebanon through the efforts of the Government of Lebanon and UN and NGO partners has now reached 128,841 persons. Of this number, 94,603 are registered, with an estimated 34,238 people having been in contact with UNHCR to be registered. This week, UNHCR registered 6,841 refugees in, North Lebanon, Bekaa, and South Lebanon. Current distribution of registered population is as follows: North Lebanon: 49,404 Bekaa: 38,813 and South: 6,386 UNHCR teams conducted mobile registration in Wadi Kaled to help address the difficulties some of the residents had in reaching the Tripoli centre. Over 700 individuals (141 families) were registered there this week. In the Bekaa, a mobile registration team is now covering Central and West Bekaa and has to date registered 3,439 persons in the area. In South Lebanon, 473 persons have been registered while 2,398 registrations are pending. Amel has promoted registration among refugees through awareness sessions and referral of cases in need. Protection Some 2,450 refugees arrived to Lebanon this week spread evenly across the North, and Bekaa regions. As in previous week, the majority of refugees continue to enter Lebanon through official border crossings: Masnaa in east Lebanon and Bekayaa /Aboudieh in north Lebanon. The inflow of refugees into Wadi Khaled was relativley slow this week. The main reasons behind this continue to be prohibitive bribes and targeted shootings on the Syrian side hidering refugees access to Lebanon. While many refugees settle in the North and East, some move to South Lebanon where they hope to have better chances of finding a job or unite with family or friends. The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) visited newly arrived families in order to provide them with immediate assistance pending their registration with UNHCR, and detect specific needs to be referred to partner agencies for specialized assistance. A priority this week was the follow-up on the status of minority refugee groups settled mostly in Zgharta, Kraykes, Bousit, Tall Abbas El Gharbi, Abboudiyyeh, Zahle, in addition to other villages dispersed across Lebanon. UNHCR visited those areas to assess needs, raise awareness among refugees about the registration process, and meet with local religious leaders in order to clarify the purpose and benefits of registering refugees in need. 2

Agencies including UNHCR, UNICEF and Union pour la Protection de l'enfance Libanaise (UPEL) rolled-out a Child Protection Action Plan that will help address gaps in the response to high-risk child protection cases (children who are seperated from their parents, children who have not enroled in schools, etc). The plan includes the recruitment of additional specialized staff, the provision of child protection training to social workers, and the enhancement of the provision of safe shelters for children at risk. In addition, UNHCR and partners are following up on identified cases of refugees who have been subjected to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV). Following weeks of work on the referral and detection mechanisms in that regard, partners have noticed that more refugees are willing to share their stories with specialized social workers. This is a positive development in the sense that agencies are now better prepared to identify survivors of SGBV and provide them with the adequate psycho-social and medical follow-up. UNHCR continues to follow up with the General Security Office (GSO) on the previously announced commitments to waive renewal fees and to regularise those refugees who crossed through unofficial border crossings. Security The security situation in Lebanon remained relativley calm this week. On November 20, protesters from the Tebbanhe area blocked the Northern International Highway at the Abu Ali Roundabout. Scheduled field visits in the area were postponed on that day as a result. Distribution UNHCR, the World Food Programme (WFP), DRC, World Vision (WVI), the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), and Caritas Lebanon Migrant Centre (CLMC), Makhzoumi Foundation and UNICEF continue to assist Syrian refugees throughout Lebanon through distribution of essential food kits, hygiene and baby kits. Agencies prioritized preparedness for the cold winter months by providing refugees with blankets, mattresses, carpets, heaters, and most recently, fuel coupons for heating. As numerous local organizations have expressed interest in contributing to winterization efforts, UNHCR convened a meeting with all local and international organizations working on that sector in order to streamline efforts and ensure that duplication is avoided. The most pressing gap in this sector remains the provision of aid to newly arrived families and Lebanese families returning from Syria to Lebanon in light of unrest in their country of residence. The High Relief Commission (HRC), WFP, and International Organization for Migration (IOM) are working to fill this latter gap by registering Lebanese returnees and providing them with needed assistance. In addition, DRC and partners will step-up efforts to assist newly arrived families who have not yet had the chance to register. So far in the November round of distribution, over 47,000 registered refugees were assisted with food kits and nonfood items throughout Lebanon. WFP will start assisting registered Syrian refugees in South Lebanon with food kits as part of the December round of distribution, following current mapping and assessment of local grocery shops in the area. Education To date, over 8,000 Syrian refugee children have enrolled in Lebanese public schools across Lebanon. Amel started providing remedial classes and recreational activities to more than 60 Syrian children in, Tyre and Bazourieh. 3

Within the framework of the UNHCR/CLMC project, CLMC paid the tuition fees for children enrolled in schools in Sidon and the surrounding area. In collaboration with UNICEF, CLMC will further support Syrian refugees access to schools in the area. UNICEF continues to support children by providing them with educational material as well as recreation and entertainment kits. The charitable organization Ghirass el Kheir has achieved the enrolment of 120 Syrian children in Al Manahel school in Bekaa including the provision of educational grants. For the fifth time, IOM organized a psycho-social workshop for Syrian children in Baalbeck. The Norwegian Refugee Council continues to offer vocactional training aiming to improve the refugees skills including classes in English, French, Aarabic, IT, tailoring, sports, hairdressing, make-up, and manicure. NRC also offered recreational activities and afternoon school support. The Danish Refugee Council has conducted several educational sessions in sessions in English, sewing, aesthetics and hairdressing, sports, creative handcraft and recreational activities in Halba. The difficulties faced by many Syrian children in keeping up with the Lebanese curriculum remain a challenge, but continues to be addressed through different means including remedial classes. Health UNHCR in cooperation with its partners combine their efforts in addressing refugees primary and secondary health care needs. The International Medical Corps (IMC) and its partners Médécins sans Frontières (MSF), Médécins du Monde (MDM), Amel, and the Coalition of Islamic NGOs continue to provide health care services to Syrian refugees and if necessary ensure their referral to network hospitals. With the support of 140 Mobile Medical Units, 1,201 patients have received primary health care services this week. Secondary healthcare was provided to 207 people with the most common reported health conditions being: gastroenteritis, pregnancy, trauma/wound, fracture, and respiratory infection. Social workers assessed the mental health of 209 persons this week, out of which 32 have been referred to psychologists/psychiatrists. The charitable organization Ghirass el Kheir is covering 15% of the medical fees in Majdel Aanjar, while Dar el Fatwa is providing further funding for very vulnerable cases in the Bekaa. IMC expanded its assistance activities and is currently providing medical support through 7 different hospitals across the Bekaa. Amel primary health centers in Tyre, Bazourieh, Halta, al Fardis, and Khiam are now offering free medical consultations and essential medicines for Syrian refugees. IOCC, with the support from OCHA and in partnership with Amel and the University of Balamand is providing preand post-natal care to Syrian mothers, supplementing already offered delivery services in the Bekaa. IOCC distributed infant kits to targeted mothers and held awareness sessions on prenatal care, personal hygiene, and breastfeeding. 4

Shelter UNHCR, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), DRC, Premiere Urgence-Aide Medicale Internationale (PU-AMI) and other partners are working to accelerate shelter renovations to protect refugees from the cold winter months. NRC and DRC provided cash to landlords to host over 100 refugees who are not able to pay their own rent in Baalbek, central Bekaa, Tripoli and Khura. NRC completed the rehabilitation of four large collective shelters in the Bekaa, and issued 30 first payments to Lebanese owners of unfinished houses hosting refugees in Fakeha, Arsal, and Saadnayel, in order to help them complete their construction. In North Lebanon, four owners of unfinished houses received their third and final payment to complete the renovation of their property, bringing the total number of renovated houses to 17, with 24 others scheduled for the coming weeks. The authorization to rehabilitate abandoned public buildings to serve as collective shelters remains one of the most consistent challenges. UNHCR met with MOSA and discussed this urgent priority, in addition to the need to relocate refugee families from tented settlements in north and east Lebanon to adequate collective shelters that are approved for renovation. Water and Sanitation The implementation of the different water, sanitation and hygiene activities continued in north and east Lebanon. Premiere Urgence (PU-AMI) completed the technical design of the water system - the establishment of a water source, tanks, and pipelines- in Mashta Hammoud where many refugee families are residing. PU-AMI also started the rehabilitation of sanitation facilities latrines and showers- in Sidon and. In the Bekaa, Action Contre La Faim (ACF) began the procurement of materials needed for the construction of much needed sanitation facilities in tented settlements in the area. For more information on Syrian displacement in Lebanon, please visit the Lebanon page on the webportal: http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/regional.php. There you will find facts, figures, and who does what, as well as updates on food and non-food items distributed per area and by agency. 5