(Zaman Al Wasl)- Lebanese authorities have imposed complete isolation on refugee camps and a curfew on those residing in Lebanese cities, saying such precautionary measures would halt the Coronavirus spread while rights advocates see it as a clear discriminatory practice.
Samir Geagea, former militia commander and head of the Lebanese Forces, has called for a “siege” on Syrian and Palestinian refugee camps. “It is necessary to take measures against Palestinian and Syrian presence in Lebanon, by closing the camps, and preventing anyone to enter or leave them.”
Lebanon’s infections from the COVID-19 have reached a total of 646 with 35 confirmed deaths while nearly 743,000 people have now been confirmed with the coronavirus globally, and while at least 157,000 people have recovered from COVID-19, more than 35,350 have died, according to data from World Meters.
While more than one million Syrian refugees registered at the UNHCR live in Lebanon, the government estimates the actual number to be around 1.5 million. According to official statistics and the UNHCR, no infections have been recorded among the refugees. However, a source from the Ministry of Social Affairs revealed that a number of refugees were placed in quarantine, with test results still pending.
Abu Al-Amir Mansour, a refugee living in Minya, said that the situation in Lebanon has been bad for years due to the restrictions of the government on the refugees; the spread of the Coronavirus has only made matters worse. During the past months, the Lebanese Directorate of Labor Affairs has stopped Syrians from working, leaving them without an income source and leading some to work secretly. He confirmed that so far no cases of Coronavirus have been recorded among the refugees. The preventive measures vary between those who live in cities and those in tents, where the police have imposed a ban on some camps.
Mansour said that the UNHCR did not take any action concerning the health conditions of the refugees and regarding the virus except for formalities. Days ago, a committee from Minya municipality sanitized homes and provided instructions on the prevention of coronavirus. The problem for the refugees, however, is not the virus, but their inability to pay the rent without work.
An activist said that over 70% of Syrian refugees do not benefit from the UN’s or other international organizations’ support, some Lebanese associations retract the support they provide to refugees once they know their nationalities. Only the UNHCR, Caritas and the Makhzoumi Foundation are responsible for Syrian refugees in Lebanon. The UNHCR is currently not responding, with support currently suspended. The source said that a few days ago, security forces detained 8 refugees because they went out to fish in order to feed their children.
A number of human rights organizations have commended the Lebanese government and security forces for implementing the curfew to stop coronavirus. However, some Lebanese municipalities have issued pamphlets and notices that contain discriminatory speech against refugees. The refugees’ access to health services in Lebanon depends on their legal status and the services provided to them by the UNHCR and health organizations, which in the current circumstances is unacceptable as refugees should have full access to health services.
Zaman A Wasl
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