On the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons on 1 October, UNHCR Lebanon would like to pay tribute to the resilience of older persons among refugees who bring invaluable contributions to their communities and families. Older refugees, like Nori, 80 years old, and his wife Turkiya, 75 years […]
On the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons on 1 October, UNHCR Lebanon would like to pay tribute to the resilience of older persons among refugees who bring invaluable contributions to their communities and families.
(c) UNHCR/Sebastian Rich
Older refugees, like Nori, 80 years old, and his wife Turkiya, 75 years old, can play an important part in helping their family members cope with the painful difficulties of exile. They also transmit to the younger generations, some of whom were born away from home and uprooted too early in their lives, the sense of belonging to a common heritage.
Nori and Turkiya fled their home in Aleppo four years ago. They currently live in an informal settlement in the Bekaa valley along with their son, daughter-in-law, and five grandchildren, all under the age of 10.
Through UNHCR’s partnership with the Ministry of Social Affairs, they have access to the Government-led social development centres, where UNHCR is seeking to establish a supportive social network for older people and other vulnerable groups, thanks to the generous funding of France.
“Without the assistance provided, I can’t imagine what would have happened to us. We would have been completely dependent on God”, Nori said.
Note: This post was originally posted on UNHCR Lebanon’s Facebook page.
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