UNHCR wishes to clarify inaccuracies and misleading information reported in the media and in statements in reference to “UNHCR’s intention to transfer displaced Syrian refugees to Akkar and Zahle”, and its “intention to expand existing informal settlements and set up new ones”.
UNHCR adheres to the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities’ decisions aimed at finding solutions for the most vulnerable displaced Lebanese and refugees who are currently in need of a temporary, safe place to stay.
Any intervention by UNHCR is carried out in coordination with relevant ministries and following guidance from the Government, including the National Disaster and Crisis Management Committee and the Ministry of Interior, who is responsible for liaising with local authorities at the governorate and municipal levels. UNHCR, in collaboration with humanitarian partners and Lebanese authorities, is making every effort to secure safe shelter for both displaced Lebanese and refugees, contributing to the national emergency plans in this regard at the government’s request.
UNHCR would also like to clarify that it has been responding to the needs of displaced Lebanese and other communities in Lebanon since hostilities escalated in October 2023. Our teams are providing protection services, emergency cash assistance, core relief items, access to safe shelter, health care, and psychosocial support.
In this emergency, for instance, UNHCR is the main provider of core relief items, with 428,326 relief items – mattresses, blankets, kitchen sets and solar lamps – distributed to 229,443 displaced people since October 2023, the vast majority of whom are Lebanese. Over 397,016 affected Lebanese and refugees are also being assisted with cash assistance as part of the emergency response.
UNHCR continues to carry out upgrading works in collective sites assigned by the Government, including partitioning, weatherproofing, and rehabilitating water and sanitation facilities. Our aim is to rehabilitate 450 collective sites designated by the government across the country, hosting over 16,000 mostly Lebanese families. Since October 2023, 65,353 affected people have benefited from shelter support, including cash-for-shelter, rehabilitation works, improved access to water, and enhanced privacy through gender-sensitive separation.
For more information on UNHCR’s emergency response: External-Flash-update-EN.pdf
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