They are distributed across all of the «land of the cedars», which has opened its doors to thousands of displaced families for humanitarian and ethical reasons.
Municipalities and civil society institutions have turned into active cells that accompany and care for the needs of the displaced at a time when international and local organizations have abandoned providing services to them. As a result, the displacement has become a great burden that has exhausted municipalities and depleted their capacities due to the accumulation of problems, exacerbation of needs and hampering of ways of offering shelter and aid. The displacement issue has thus turned into a social crisis impacting the local community as a whole.
Decisions and measures have been imposed, including curfews and limitations on the number of residents in some regions. The background is not «racist», but rather an attempt to ensure security following fears of it being undermined, according to municipalities that have worked on providing water and electricity, sorting out sewage and garbage disposal for the displaced, and opened communication channels with the local and international associations to limit the repercussions of the crisis, awaiting the desired solutions of ensuring an environment that would take into account the segment of society that has become part of the local community.
A link to reduce wastage
Saida has become a positive model in dealing with displacement, as it has been ranked the number one city to respond to the crisis according to Kamel Kazbar, the person responsible for the dossier at the Municipality of Saida, saying that «since the beginning of the displacement crisis, a Union of Relief and Development Institutions in Saida and the South has been established to monitor and document the number and needs of displaced in Saida, who number 5,627 households or 32,531 persons distributed across Saida, its suburbs, and the Ain al-Hilweh camp.»
According to Kazbar, the Union coordinates among the associations to facilitate in-kind assistance reaching the displaced, noting that this «has reduced wastage, as all households now receive assistance and we are now aware of the needs of each family. As a result, this coordination has contributed to alleviating suffering and reducing problems at both the security and social levels, the Union being able to ensure it in displaced housing complexes.»
Four years after the arrival of Syrians to Saida and its suburbs, Kazbar says that «there is a kind of financial stability for these families, especially owing to empowerment and support projects carried out by the institutions, in addition to the ability of Syrians to work in various fields and for relatively small ‘wages’. He also added that, «the municipality provides for the needs of the displaced according to priorities. Regarding shelter, the percentage of displaced living in apartments and buildings and paying rent reaches 98%, while less than 2% live in free complexes. Thus, they receive help in paying for the rent and providing healthcare services, in light of UNHCR’s great reductions in offering healthcare services to the displaced, which adds to their burdens. The same applies to education, as after providing free education for displaced students by the government and international institutions, there was an urgent need to provide transportation for these students. And work has been done in this area in confronting the culture of fear.»
The displacement crisis has been a heavy burden at all levels. The Lebanese government and international donor organizations have endeavored to provide support to unions and municipalities and to offer projects that reinforce stability and fight injustice, including infrastructure and services projects, finding job opportunities, organizing the displacement, establishing clear mechanisms in dealing with the displaced, and dealing with the security repercussions on municipalities and the series of increasing numbers of theft incidents.
From the Lebanese people’s fear for their security, which was undermined by the Irsal events, and the tragic reality of more than 1.2 million displaced emerges an image of a widespread culture of fear and the increase in precautionary measures targeting the displaced, sometimes bordering on «racism».
Akkar, which is home to 106,000 displaced, and after the death of six of its inhabitants during clashes between the Lebanese Army and armed men in Irsal, now regards Syrians as a grave danger, the fact which has prompted municipalities to take precautionary measures such as night curfews and banning Syrians from using motorcycles.
The head of the Hrar municipality Khaled el-Youssef reiterated «these measure are not against the displaced but for the benefit of both Syrians and Lebanese, and to reduce the incidence of problems and to maintain security». He said, «the Syrian refugee and others have the right to work and do whatever they want but within certain limits, and we as a municipality provide them with the necessary relief. And we have collaborated with the Mada organization in implementing projects that contribute to consolidation of the relationship of the displaced with the residents of the region and provides for their needs.» He also noted, «the municipality seeks to provide the necessary assistance to them within its capacities, especially regarding healthcare services, if there are health cases that require treatment or help not covered by international organizations, they are provided.»
According to Youssef, despite the fact that increasing numbers of displaced have negatively impacted all life areas such as services, businesses and rents, «most of those living in the region were able to integrate into the local community.»
According to Ahmad al-Qasir (a Syrian displaced), municipalities in the North have been an embracing environment for all the displaced and they have sought to help them within their abilities to reduce the burden of displacement,» noting that the measures taken have varied depending on each region and the circumstances.
He said, «restrictions imposed on some Syrian workers in security cases or tourist regions like Jbeil, Halat and others is justifiable, whereas in the other regions, curfews on displaced riding motorcycles after six pm and restrictions on their movement makes Syrians feel like they’re in a prison. What is required is to reduce the curfew measures by pushing it to ten pm as a first step, in order to avoid provoking a sense of discrimination between the displaced and the host community.»
Yahia Hashem (a Syrian displaced) shares this view and notes that municipalities have the right to restrict mobility on motorcycles, as they are the most widely used means of transport by sleeper cells to carry out operations breaching security. But it is wrong to generalize that all who use them are carrying out acts to breach security and public safety. He also affirmed that what the Lebanese have done through municipalities, associations and as citizens for the displaced, who have been scrambling in conditions where they have to make ends meet is undeniable. Thus they are not competing with the Lebanese for jobs, and are not even trying to; their sole concern is to secure a decent living until their return to their homeland.
Legally no municipality has the right to impose a curfew on any person according to the lawyer Nivine Habbal, as this infringes human rights. However article 79 of Decree no. 665/97of the Municipal Act has allowed municipalities to prevent anything that could affect comfort, security and public health. Under this article, and seeking to maintain security in each region, municipalities have taken what they have deemed to be «precautionary measures», especially following security problems and increase in cases of theft where motorcycles were used.
Habbal says, «municipalities did not enforce this strictly, and have sought to facilitate the movement of the displaced, especially in cases of necessity.»
A crisis that has dwarfed forecasts
Syrian displacement in the Beqaa has reached a level that has dwarfed forecasts and that poses a social, economic and housing crisis, the fact which has put municipalities before a tragic reality that demands that they meet the needs of both their inhabitants and the displaced.
Bar Elias, which houses 55 big camps and 45 smaller camps, is an example of this reality. The head of the municipality Saadeddine Maita says, «the displaced are offered relief by providing them with water and electricity, and sewage and waste disposal. In addition, we are in contact with associations to provide social, food and educational services and necessary amounts of heating materials.»
He also stressed, «what is required is organizing the displacement. The reality of the camps is bad despite the support of some associations. It is also necessary to increase the benefits offered by international organizations to municipalities for projects to do with waste sorting, sewage treatment, power supply lines for the benefit of Lebanese citizens and Syrian displaced.»
The displacement crisis has been a heavy burden at all levels. The Lebanese government and international donor organizations have endeavored to provide support to unions and municipalities and to offer projects that reinforce stability and fight injustice, including infrastructure and services projects, finding job opportunities, organizing the displacement, establishing clear mechanisms in dealing with the displaced, and dealing with the security repercussions on municipalities and the series of increasing numbers of theft incidents