Lebanon's efforts matter

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In May 2015 in Lebanon, Syrian refugee Amina, 14, holds her young son outside their shelter in Bekaa Valley.

A few days ago I read the following news online: At the refugee summit in New York (19th September 2016), where the chief executives of 50 countries were present, the host and American president Barack Obama has expressed appreciative words for Canada and Germany, for their engagement in the refugee crisis we are currently facing. He appreciated their politics of openness and the support that the refugees receive there. He also acknowledged Mexico, Sweden and Jordan for their efforts in handling refugees.

I was seriously very disappointed because he did not mention Lebanon with a single word. I want to take you through some figures and personal stories to explain my disappointment.

Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war, almost 6 years ago, 4 million people have fled the country and 9 million have been displaced internally. In 2015 there has been a record number of asylum applications in the EU; 1.3 million, of which 292.540 where approved. However, when looking at figures it becomes very evident that the refugee crisis is a very disproportionate burden in the EU. Germany is the country with the most asylum applications, around 476.000 (2015) (the next country would be Hungary with 177.130 applications) and approved 140.910, which is a little less than half the EU value. From these figures we can calculate that there are 587 asylum approvals for every 100.000 residents in Germany; the average EU value is 260. In Germany the refugee crisis has led to considerable social problems: right-wing parties have gained popularity, there have been accusations, fights, and burning homes. In addition to that refugees are mostly not integrated into the society; there is great segregation between them and the residents. In short: the situation has escalated.

So now let’s take a look at the situation in Lebanon. Lebanon is the country with most refugees per capita. In the beginning of 2016 there were 1.1 million registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Lebanon has a population of 4 million and this would mean that every fifth person in the population is a Syrian refugee. There are probably many more that are not registered yet and refugees from other Middle Eastern countries like Palestine. The special thing in Lebanon is that, until now, there have been no big discrepancies and problems between locals and the refugees, despite the fact, that Syria has laid siege on Lebanon even years after the civil war (1975-1990) and the economic situation of the country.

The impact of the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon is immense and multidimensional. The large influx of people has put increased pressure on local resources including electricity, water and crops as well as on the labour market. It has also caused prices for everyday goods as well as shelter to drive up. Since 2011 the number of Lebanese living under the poverty line has risen by more than 66%.

Another special thing in Lebanon is, that there are no refugee camps as in Jordan, Iraq and Turkey as the government believes that that would send the wrong signals. One-half of the refugees live in rented houses and the other half in nomadic camps hosted by families or local communities. The refugees are therefore integrated directly into the communities and most of them even have small jobs, even if they are not always paid very well.

The Lebanese government makes great efforts to support the refugees in any way possible. Refugee children have the right to enter school for free and hospitals, that usually have to be paid in Lebanon for every treatment, also operate for free. Many NGOs have also prospered in the area too and work hard to try and close the big economic gap of the lack of funding from the UN. All these are services that are not even provided for the poorest Lebanese and could potentially fuel big social arguments.

I have experienced in my village this summer that bad vibes have started to form. For example, no one cared for the Lebanese children during the civil war and even in 2006 during the Lebanese-Isreali war but now there are playgrounds funded not only from the UN but also from individual states like Poland. Similarly, education is highly valued in Lebanon but many families cannot afford the tuition fees; Syrians get it for free. Another example would be that Lebanese women often face the decision of giving birth at home or in a hospital as they have to pay fees in the hospital, no matter of their social situation; Syrians receive it for free.

Why do all the efforts that Lebanon makes go unseen and unappreciated? Has it not done the same amount, when not, even more, to host people in need the best way possible? And why does no one acknowledge that while all other countries, including Germany, face great social tensions, the refugee development in Lebanon has until now been very peaceful? I don’t want to say that other countries do and sacrifice nothing, but I also believe that it is unfair to overlook the achievements of smaller countries. Appreciative words and a mention during the refugee summit in New York would even be a drive and motivation for the Lebanese government and residents to continue their refugee program when facing new groups of refugees every day.

Sources:

http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/country.php?id=122

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34131911

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