Ketermaya informal tented settlement Syrian Refugee Crisis Global Communities Rapid Needs Assessment: Lebanon Mount Lebanon Governorate, Chouf and Aley Districts April 2014 Global Communities serves as an active implementing partner for UNHCR in providing shelter and WASH assistance to Lebanon s Mt Lebanon governorate. This update is part of Global Communities effort to assess, monitor and share information related to the impact of the Syrian refugee crisis in Mt Lebanon. In partnership with the Development People and Nature s Association (DPNA), Global Communities carried out 12 focus groups in Aley and Chouf districts, representing 113 individuals-- 66% of total respondents were female. Questions focused on shelter, WASH, livelihoods, education and protection needs. The findings in this update are illustrative of the needs in the target areas and not used to extrapolate findings beyond its scope. SUMMARY With a population of just over 4 million, Lebanon now has the highest per capita concentration of refugees worldwide. Lebanon has taken in nearly 1 million 1 registered Syrian refugees since the start of the Syrian conflict four years ago, representing nearly a quarter of its own population. 1. As of April 3, 2014. Thomas Reuters Foundation. Lebanon marks devastating milestone with millionth refugee. http://www.trust.org/ item/20140403101614-1qjln/. 3 April 2014 The influx has been described by the government as an existential threat in a country scarred by its own volatile history. 2 Mt Lebanon s urban environment is a challenge for UNHCR and aid practitioners attempting to locate, monitor, track and deliver aid to Syrian refugees. Public health and education services shared by Syrians and Lebanese are in steady decline. The Lebanese public school system has exceeded its capacity level in both space and number, leaving approximately 300,000 Syrian refugees with no access to education. The majority of Syrian migrant workers who previously traveled from Syria now permanently reside in Lebanon, resulting in a drop of daily wage due to a flooded labor market. Syrians strong work ethic and willingness to accept lower wages fuels fierce competition with Lebanese for business and skilled labor. UNHCR reports the highest number of new refugee registrations to be in Mt Lebanon. The majority of Syrian refugees living in collective centers and ITS have a background in agriculture. With the onset of violence, their families fled Syria and chose to relocate to Lebanon. Water 2. Thomas Reuters Foundation. http://www.trust.org/item/20140403101614-1qjln/. 3 April 2014. 1
Snapshot 1,003,814 Syrians registered by UNHCR in Lebanon (as of 4 April 2014) 1 in 5 persons are Syrian. That is 6 times the number of Syrian refugees registered by UNHCR at the beginning of 2013. 2,300 refugees registered every day in Lebanon. 25,000 refugees are over the age of 65. 75% of Syrian refugees are women and children. 80% displaced more than once inside Syria before coming to Lebanon. (data source: UNHCR Lebanon) Graphic depicting size of Lebanon in relation to the State of Maryland, USA. Source: UNHCR Lebanon shortages are on the rise due to a lack of rainwater coupled with increased population numbers associated with Syrians. A lack of management, limited electricity, and shared bathing facilities in group living environments poses potential threats to the safety and security especially to women and children. The main findings of the report Stressed ground water sources and a 54% decrease in general average rainfall will likely result in a period of drought with water shortages: There is potential for a considerable drop in water availability; reduction in water quality; and unforeseen water needs in areas previously served. Limited water availability in the hot and humid summer months is likely to create an increased prevalence of hygienic problems and disease transmission: Syrian refugees, Lebanese community members, humanitarian aid practitioners and the GOL s Water Authority all express concern in water availability and decline in good hygiene practice that is anticipated to worsen in summer months. A gap exists in support to children, particularly in the implementation and scaling-up of systems providing specialized services to those deemed high-risk and vulnerable: At least 300,000 Syrian refugee children cannot enroll in school. A majority of these children work as an alternative. Suspected high numbers of children engaged in work, particularly on streets and in other worse forms of labor, coupled with concerns of separated or unaccompanied children, underscore the need for stronger referral mechanisms. Systems by which persons with specific needs are identified and referred to relevant services require strengthening, including enhanced coordination and follow-through amongst partners at the field level: There exists a gap in reporting and monitoring, especially between residents of collective centers, ITS and aid practitioners. Key recommendations Coordinate with the GOL Water Authority to increase water access through water reservoir construction: Aid agencies should proactively coordinate with the GOL Water Authority to utilize maps and assessments they prepared outlining ground water sources and needs. Efforts to expedite construction should be done with the understanding that construction will take 2-3 months to complete. Establish hygiene promotion and water conservation campaigns targeting Syrian refugees: Campaign messages could be broadcast to Lebanese and Syrians utilizing paper fliers, posters, and SMS technology. To maximize outreach opportunities, mobile community based initiatives should be carried out through activities. Sessions could involve methods to conserve water; promotion of alcohol based sanitizers; and drawing attention to the decreasing amount of water available. 2
Rehabilitate water infrastructure in collective centers and private homes to promote water conservation: Construct water pipe infrastructure to recycle grey water from washing in showers and kitchens for use in toilet flushing. Create opportunity for protection monitoring teams to visit and follow-up areas with high refugee populations: Teams of volunteers or paid staff members from local and international NGOs should visit collective centers and ITS in order to monitor, record, report and follow-up needs of Syrian refugees. Increase capacity for child friendly spaces (CFS): Creation of CFS in Syrian refugee collective centers or off-site in public parks and playgrounds provides opportunity for children to process and express the trauma they experienced in Syria. Research and provide options for home gardening in collective centers and ITS: The majority of Syrian refugees interviewed in collective centers and ITS have a low income, are reliant on WFP food rations and have a background in agriculture. All Syrian refugees claim a lack of fresh fruits and vegetables available in WFP food rations. Research and efforts to promote home gardening techniques, such as key hole gardens, should be explored. Geographic Focus Location Total number of registered Syrian refugees in Mt. Lebanon as of February 27, 2014 A collective shelter housing over 150 Syrian families Total: 201,232 individuals Source: UN OCHA District (Caza) (as of March 4, 2014) Lebanese Population Registered Syrian Refugees Baabda 520,165 66,460 El Matn 428,166 41,155 Aley 163,872 41,320 Kesrouan 161,292 8,190 Chouf 153,324 41,606 Jbayl 80,754 2,501 Source: UN OCHA and GOL Central Administration of Statistics, http:// www.cas.gov.lb/index.php. 3
Shelter Life is Bad and Rent is Expensive focus group respondent, Chouf In Mt Lebanon, the majority of Syrian refugees live in urban environments. The urban context creates a challenge to identify their location, needs and provision of aid. In January 2014, UNHCR s Information Management Working Group initiated a country-wide effort to map ITS and to promote the Activity Info data management tool to quantify and track humanitarian interventions beginning in 2014. The number of Syrian refugees living with host families has steadily decreased, suggesting a saturation in both the availability and willingness of the local community to host refugees. Rent prices continue to escalate with the limited housing stock and continued influx of refugees; fluctuating from $300-$500 per month. 20% increase in the overall population in the last two years, this value might now be significantly below the threshold. Water trucking is available as coping mechanism, but is unfavorable due to it being both expensive and unsustainable. Lebanese municipalities struggle to cope with the accumulation and disposal of waste. They are required to pay approximately $110 USD per kilo collected and have experienced an increase of 30 to 40% in their waste due to the presence of the refugees. 5 In Mt Lebanon, the private company Sukleen is responsible for collecting garbage that is then transported to designated dump sites. It does not operate in areas deemed residential thereby not accessing ITS or industrial sites now inhabited by Syrian refugees. 5. Survey results. Global Communities November 2013 Assessment. Percentage of Housing UNHCR 1 8% 2% 9% Rooftop water tanks on top of a collective center 14% 67% Apartments Tents Unfinished Houses Garages/Warehouses/Worksites Collective Shelters WASH Problems with water quality, supply and inadequate sanitation services that pre-date the Syrian crisis 3 continue to deteriorate in Lebanon. The renewable water resources per capita estimate was already slightly below the scarcity threshold before the Syrian crisis. Reports indicate a decrease in 54% from the general average in rainfall over the past 30 years dropping from 440 mm on average to a mere 238mm. 4 With an approximate 3. National Water Sector Strategy, Ministry of Energy and Water, March 2012. 4. UNHCR WASH Sector: Risk of Shortages this Summer. 26 January 2014. Rehabilitated bathroom in collective shelter Hand washing station in an informal tent settlment 4
Ketermaya informal tented settlement camp, Mount Lebanon Education Syrian refugees face barriers to education through tuition costs, limited transport, language barriers, and limited space in Lebanese public schools. UNHCR assists with Syrian enrollment in Lebanese public schools, where 30% of Lebanese students study. A small number of private schools now allow Syrian refugees to register with tuition provided by local Lebanese charities. 300,000 Syrian refugee children 6 have no access to formal education. 100% of male and female Lebanese and Syrian focus group members report child labor as the alternative to school. Livelihoods Brother we don t need any help, let them get us a job and we will live in dignity Baakline, Upper Chouf; Syrian focus group member Syrian and Lebanese focus group members report the majority of Syrian men work in business, tourism, trade, construction and agriculture; while Syrian women reportedly find work as school teachers, secretaries, seamstresses and nurses. Economic pressure pushes more Syrian women to abandon their traditional role as the care taker at home in order to work. Syrian and Lebanese women report increased incidents of harassment as a result of females working out of economic necessity. Though work is viewed as a necessity for income, negative stigmas are associated with it. One female Syrian focus group member reported a child being sexually abused in the collective center where she lived as a result of the mother not being at home to supervise her child because she had to work. The average day labor rate for Syrians is $25 for unskilled labor and $47 for skilled. The average monthly household expense in both Chouf and Aley is reported as $1,500 per family. 100% of male and female Lebanese and Syrian focus group members report an average income that is not able to meet monthly expenses. Loans from formal banks and informally from friends and family is the most common coping method for Lebanese and Syrians in need of cash. The majority of female and male Syrian focus group members requested job creation as a means to live with dignity through their displacement instead of cash or other forms of humanitarian intervention. 6. There are currently 500,000 Syrian children inside Lebanon, 400,000 of them school aged between 5 and 12. Syrian refugee family living in a collective center 5
Stones set up by angry Lebanese neighbors to block Keteramaya informal tented camp. Protection Group living conditions in collective centers, shelters and ITS pose particular risks to women and children. Bathrooms and bathing facilities are often not gender segregated and lack adequate lighting that creates potential for an attack and/or harassment. Lebanese men reported a larger number of threats to women and cases of rape in comparison to Lebanese and Syrian female focus group respondents. Lebanese and Syrian women reported experiencing sexual harassment, threats of rape, attempted sexual assault and an overall concern for the safety of their children. UNHCR s protection Sector Working Group, psychosocial support practitioners and UNICEF all report the need for increased attention to psychosocial support; particularly for children. Lebanon has relatively few mental health specialists that could fill this gap; with an average of 1.5 psychiatrists per 100,000 of the population. 7 UNICEF further reported that children have approximately 30 minutes for recess in second shift schools and no opportunity to express themselves creatively to process trauma through art and play to assist with processing trauma. This gap in services available was noted in psychosocial services available to Syrian refugees during the planning for Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP6). A lack of communication between UNHCR policies concerning refugee law and Syrian refugees remains an issue in Lebanon. All key informant, informal interviews and focus group responses with male and female Syrian focus group members expressed concern that they would have to pay the $200 fee for registration as a penalty for being in Syria for more than one year. Reports of this concern conflicts with reports from UNHCR, who reportedly brokered a deal with the GOL to eliminate fee in exchange for UNHCR to assist with improved border security. 8 The Road Forward Four years of war and there is no end in sight for the end of the Syrian crisis. Increased demand on shared public services, competition for jobs and a sense of insecurity are increasingly common complaints by Lebanese supporting Syrian refugees in their own communities. A fresh wave of bombings in Beirut beginning in late 2013 linked to Syrian militants is adding to Lebanese communities daily loss in tolerance. It is further fueling debate amongst the GOL as to when the time will come to close the border in order to protect its own Lebanese citizens. The key to stability lies in the capacity of Lebanon s communities to sustain the Syrian refugees in country. Global Communities will continue to actively seek efforts to do its part in identifying and supporting activities to aid Lebanese host communities supporting Syrian refugees in Mt Lebanon. 7. UNHCR. Assessment of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon. December 2013. 8. Biometric scans, computerized data bases and more rigorous background checks. in exchange for the GOL. 6