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Tag: Lebanon

  • Gilbert Goh: Thank You Singaporeans For Contributing To Betterment Of Child Refugees In Lebanon

    Gilbert Goh: Thank You Singaporeans For Contributing To Betterment Of Child Refugees In Lebanon

    Had a very interesting time spending half a day interacting with the refugee children at Shatila camp Beirut yesterday.

    They appear happy and contented when classes resume after a one-week Haji break. The classes are managed by the Palestinian NGO based in Beirut – National Institution of Social Care & Vocational Training.

    You can look through their activities at www.socialcare.org.

    I remember my parents took me out of a kindargarten permanently as we were very poor and couldn’t afford the school fees then. I would walk past the school regularly and peep inside marvelling at those who are so priviledged to attend the classes.

    The kids spend 6 years here in a refugee childcare facility before moving on to the government schools.

    Its the only fun time kids have before they return home to their shoddy apartment. Some are orphans and will return to the orphanage.

    The school hours are from 8am to 1pm and most kids are Palestinian refugees with some coming from Syrians and others.

    Its a priviledge knowing the kids and they appear strong in the face of adversity. Kudos also to the teachers who show dedication and commitment in their line of duty.

    Most of the teachers are refugees themselves.

    Sometimes you find tears rolling down your cheek unknowingly when you move around the centre – its that emotional.

    It only takes USD $150 to sponsor a refugee child per annum to ensure that he has a decent pre school education before he ventures into the government school. We have so far collected close to $3000.

    We are targetting 100 children and it can be a one-off thing.

    Let us try to make a small Singaporean dent in this part of the war-torn world…

    ***

    Visited another kindargarten centre at Bourj AlBarajneh Beirut today.

    childcare-in-lebanon

    Its a 2-storey building full of kids from age 3 to 6 years old.

    Some just enter the nursery yesterday for the new school term and are abit bewildered.

    I am glad to catch them before they leave at 1pm.

    Both the centres I visited yesterday and today will be funded by the many Good Samaritans who donated to the refugee cause.

    The school also requested for gas heater as winter is approaching and it can be quite cold at 15 deg average. We went around sourcing and will try our level best to donate a few sets to the centre soon.

    Each gas heater costs around USD $100 to $120.

    Thanks alot Singaporeans as we have made our little significant mark here in Beirut Lebanon.

    We may be a small country but we have a big heart!

     

     

    Source: Gilbert Goh

     

  • Lebanon Imposes Visa On Syrians Seeking To Enter The Country

    Lebanon Imposes Visa On Syrians Seeking To Enter The Country

    BEIRUT: For decades, Syrian and Lebanese citizens have enjoyed free movement across their shared border, but now they fear this is a thing of the past.

    For the first time ever, Syrians wishing to cross into Lebanon need a visa, regardless if they are fleeing a civil war.

    Wael Arbiley has been living in Lebanon for two years, but his family is still in Eastern Ghouta, near Damascus. Like many, Wael lives between the haven of Lebanon and the rubble of war-torn Syria. “My wife will give birth in a month. Her mother wants to visit us in Lebanon,” he said. “We are afraid that she will have difficulties at the border but we heard of a three-day visa that she could get.”

    This controversial measure, introduced earlier this year, is part of an effort by Beirut to restrain the influx of Syrian refugees into Lebanon. Syrians now need to obtain one of six types of visas: Tourist, transit, business, student, short stay or medical.

    The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says there has been a 50 per cent decrease in Syrians coming to register as refugees since the new measures were imposed.

    “It is still unclear how this problem will affect refugees who are already inside the country,” said Dana Sleiman, a UNHCR public information associate. “It’s mostly currently affecting refugees wishing to enter Lebanon. And we continue to discuss … with the government to see how these humanitarian exceptions will be implemented at the border.”

    Lebanon’s infrastructure has almost reached the point of collapse. The refugee influx has tested the limited resources of the country, as well as the patience of its citizens.

    But activists feel that is no reason to turn Syrians away in their time of need. “They should not impose a visa,” said Lebanese taxi driver Kamal Raqqa. “Refugees don’t have money. They are homeless. If they don’t have visas, they will go back to Syria and to their death.”

    It is a controversial policy that could endanger not only the lives of fleeing Syrians, but the special relationship between the two countries. But the Beirut says it has no choice.

    For months, the Lebanese government has warned the international community that it can no longer deal with the influx of Syrian refugees. This newly-imposed visa on Syrians seems to be the latest in a series of cries for help from Lebanon to contain the spill over of the Syrian crisis.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • Selfie Of Miss Lebanon With Miss Israel Stirs Lebanon

    Selfie Of Miss Lebanon With Miss Israel Stirs Lebanon

    BEIRUT (Reuters) – A Israeli beauty queen’s selfie has caused a stir in Lebanon, with some Lebanese saying their country’s contestant at the Miss Universe pageant should be stripped of her title for consorting with the enemy.

    Miss Israel Doron Matalon posted a photo of herself and Miss Lebanon Saly Greige smiling together at pageant preparations in Miami, where the winner will be picked on January 25.

    The two countries are technically at war, although the border has been largely quiet since their 2006 conflict. The Lebanese risk prison if they call or travel to Israel and all Israeli products are banned in Lebanon.

    Some Lebanese have demanded on social media that Greige lose her title for contacts with a citizen of the enemy state.

    Greige defended herself on the photo-sharing service Instagram on Saturday, saying Matalon had pestered her for a picture together and finally photobombed her.

    “Since the first day of my arrival to participate to Miss Universe, I was very cautious to avoid being in any photo or communication with Miss Israel, who tried several times to take a photo with me,” Greige said.

    “I was having a photo with Miss Japan, Miss Slovenia, suddenly Miss Israel jumped in and took a selfie, and uploaded it on her social media.”

    (Reporting by Oliver Holmes)

     

    Source: https://sg.news.yahoo.com

  • Wife And Suspected Son Of IS Leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi Detained

    Wife And Suspected Son Of IS Leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi Detained

    BEIRUT — Lebanese authorities detained a wife and suspected son of the leader of the Islamic State group several days ago, and she is being questioned, two senior Lebanese officials said today (Dec 2).

    A military official said the woman and child were detained about 10 days ago while carrying fake identification cards.

    Both officials refused to give further details about the woman who is believed to be one of the wives of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the group’s reclusive leader. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

    The military official said the woman is a Syrian citizen and is being questioned by authorities.

    The announcement of the arrest comes amid attempts to reach a prisoner-exchange deal between Lebanese authorities and the Islamic State group and the Nusra Front, al-Qaida’s Syria branch, who have been holding more than 20 Lebanese soldiers and policemen hostage since August.

    They have demanded the release of Islamist prisoners being held by Lebanese authorities.

    Last night, the Nusra Front threatened to kill one of the soldiers it is holding captive.

    The wife’s arrest could be used as a bargaining chip for Lebanese authorities in their attempts to win the freedom of the troops.

    A judicial official said the interrogation is being supervised by Lebanon’s military prosecutor, Mr Saqr Saqr. He added that a DNA test is underway to confirm that the child is the son of the detained woman.

    The Lebanese daily As-Safir was the first to break the news, saying they were detained near a border crossing point with Syria. It added that the arrest was made in “coordination with foreign intelligence agencies”.

    Very little is known about al-Baghdadi’s personal life, including how many wives and children he has. Conservative interpretations of Islam allow for a man to marry up to four wives.

    Al-Baghdadi’s first wife is believed to be Iraqi citizen Saja al-Dulaimi, who was reportedly held by Syrian authorities and freed in a prisoner exchange with the Nusra Front earlier this year.

    In March, the Nusra Front freed more than a dozen Greek Orthodox nuns, ending their four-month captivity in exchange for Syrian authorities releasing dozens of female prisoners. AP

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • United Nations Suspends Distribution Of World Food Program Vouchers In Embattled Middle East Countries Due To Lack Of Funds

    United Nations Suspends Distribution Of World Food Program Vouchers In Embattled Middle East Countries Due To Lack Of Funds

    A lack of funds has forced the United Nations to stop providing food vouchers for 1.7 million Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Monday.

    “Without WFP vouchers, many families will go hungry. For refugees already struggling to survive the harsh winter, the consequences of halting this assistance will be devastating,” said the U.N. agency, which needs $64 million to support the refugees for the rest of December.

    Suspension of the assistance program comes as many vulnerable Syrian families enter their fourth bleak winter in difficult living conditions after fleeing a homeland racked by conflict since March 2011.

    “This couldn’t come at a worse time,” said U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres in a statement.

    The impact could be particularly devastating in Lebanon, where more than 1.1 million Syrian refugees — one-quarter of the country’s permanent population — are scattered across some 1,700 communities, according to the U.N. refugee agency. Many live in makeshift settlements, sheds, garages and unfinished buildings.

    The electronic voucher program has already injected about $800 million into local shops in the countries hosting refugees, and WFP will immediately resume it if new funding arrives, it said in the statement.

    It was not clear how hungry Syrian refugees might fill the gap left by WFP suspending its voucher program.

    WFP had warned last month that it might be forced to impose such a suspension and said it might have to announce a similar measure in January for people reliant on aid within Syria, where at least 7.6 million people are internally displaced.

    The Rome-based agency has already cut rations for 4.25 million people it is providing food supplies to in Syria.

    “WFP will not be able to continue its life-saving operations inside Syria in February without additional funding,” WFP spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs told Reuters on Monday.

    The U.N. refugee agency has said that a lack of cash has forced it to prioritize as it helps those in need prepare for winter, with preference for people at higher, colder altitudes and vulnerable refugees such as newborn babies. REUTERS

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com