A million on the run in Lebanon: Where can they find protection?

For a year, since the Hezbollah militia after the Islamist terrorist attack Hamas began firing rockets at Israel, there is daily rocket fire in the border region. After the pager explosions and the killing of Hezbollah chief Nasrallah people are also fleeing from other parts of the country – according to Lebanese information a million the 5.8 million people living in Lebanon on the run.

“The vast majority of people try to find a safe place in Lebanon,” says the Austrian Roland Schönbauer spokesman for the UN High Commission for Refugees in Jordan to the COURIER. Appreciated 160,000 people have come to Syria in the last ten days: “Most of them with nothing more than a plastic bag with their belongings in their hand.”

70 percent Those arriving in Syria are Syrians themselves, having once fled from the war or the Assad regime in their country of origin. “They are now being forced to flee for at least the second time.”

Forced to return to the civil war country

Since the civil war in 2011, Lebanon 1.5 million Syrians recorded, the largest number in the world in relation to the population. Recently, however, they have been less and less welcome and politicians have made them scapegoats for crime, instability and the country’s catastrophic economic situation.

The Syrian regime has it Border crossing for Syrian and Lebanese refugees in recent days. UNHCR and other aid organizations provide care to those arriving in Syria four official border crossings with the bare necessities, “water, food, diapers. And we try to offer transport options for those Syrians who want to stay with relatives.” The Lebanese refugees are accommodated in reception camps run by NGOs.

Die Caritas Austria Delegate Ilaria Borella has lived in the center of for years Damascus. Israel has also increased its bombing of Syria in recent months, and the attacks were also heard in Borella’s neighborhood. After the end of the large-scale fighting, the country is in an economic crisis, energy is scarce and reconstruction is hardly taking place. Corruption and international sanctions complicate the situation. “People have no hope, no future, there is no economic perspective,” she says.

Women and children among returnees

Borella reports of queues of people in front of the border crossings: “The checkpoints are in the mountains, many people had to spend the night there.” In addition to humanitarian supplies, aid organizations also distribute blankets and warn of the impending winter.

There are a striking number of refugees Women, Kinder and older people. Refugees Syrians who are drafted into the army, persecuted or tortured Assad-Regime fear, are more likely to stay in Lebanon. Borella emphasizes that in addition to humanitarian assistance, local aid organizations also provide legal help and that all returnees are registered. That supports that Feeling of security among returning Syrian refugees.

“What is touching is the openness of the Syrian population towards the Lebanese refugees,” says the Caritas Austria delegate. “The Syrians took in the Lebanese during the 2006 war, and I’m constantly reminded of that at the moment.” At the same time, people are very afraid that the air strikes on Syria will increase – “where will all the people go then?”

Escape to Europe?

One Escape movement UNHCR spokesman Schönbauer does not see that this could also affect Europe: “Worldwide, we experience that the vast majority of refugees in… Neighboring countries flee and want to stay there or return. The people who are now coming to Syria are also telling us that.”

But it is also crucial that the rest of the world does not ignore the humanitarian crisis on site and supports it financially: “We are counting on it $83 million“In order to be able to help one million people acutely.” In addition, so-called “early recovery” must also be financed, i.e. a first reconstruction of residential buildings or schools to enable security, stability and economic prospects locally. The EU has announced an additional 10 million euros in aid.