IOM and UNHCR Help Lebanese Return From Syria
IOM and UNHCR have activated a joint fund to help up to 10,000
Lebanese displaced by the conflict to return to their homes from
Syria.
The joint IOM-UNHCR Rapid Response Transportation Fund (RRTF)
will provide US$500,000 to cover the cost of IOM transport to safe
key locations in Lebanon including Beirut, Tripoli, Baalbek, Saida,
Tyre and other cities through year end.
The funding will also provide grants to vulnerable returnees
with insufficient resources to pay for food and local transport to
their final destinations in towns and villages throughout
Lebanon.
An estimated 110,000 Lebanese of 180,000 who fled the conflict
are believed to have already left Syria. But many of those who
remain left their homes with very little and are now unable to
return due to lack of resources.
Meanwhile IOM’s evacuation of foreign migrant workers from
Lebanon has continued this week and IOM continues to receive
evacuation requests.
But with target numbers exceeded, the EC and US-funded programme
is expected to end this weekend, unless additional funding becomes
available.
Yesterday a further 370 Sri Lankans and 71 Filipinos left Beirut
for Damascus with IOM convoys. Today 100 Ethiopians and a further
70 Filipinos are expected to leave.
IOM has now helped nearly11,900 migrants, mainly female domestic
workers from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Ethiopia and Bangladesh,
to return home from Lebanon since July 20th.
Earlier this week IOM launched an appeal for US$26.4 million to
fund its operations in Lebanon over the next six months. Areas of
activity include assistance to displaced Lebanese and help for any
remaining migrant workers still wishing to return home.
This week IOM bus convoys from Beirut helped over 3,000
internally displaced Lebanese return to their homes in the southern
towns of Tyre, Nabatieh, Marjayoun and Bint Jbeil.
An IOM assessment mission is currently in South Lebanon to
examine areas in which IOM may be able to assist in the
reintegration of the returnees and the rehabilitation of their
shattered communities. The mission will continue to Baalbek and the
Bekaa valley through the weekend.
For more information, please contact:
Jean-Philippe Chauzy in Beirut
Mobile: +961 70909426 or + 41 79 285 4366
Chris Lom in Geneva
Tel. + 41 22 717 9361
Mobile: + 66 1927 5215
Email:
"mailto:clom@iom.int">clom@iom.int
Information
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