Lebanon - Conditions of the Lebanese returnees who fled the conflict in Syria are broadly similar to those of Syrian refugees, as most came back to Lebanon without their belongings, are unemployed and are either renting accommodation or being hosted by Lebanese families, while some are living in collective centres and tents, according to a joint IOM and Lebanese High Relief Commission (HRC)  report on “The Situation and Needs of Lebanese Returnees from Syria”. The report will be officially launched on Wednesday 11 December in Beirut.

“In the current context, the needs of Lebanese returnees have often been overlooked – either because they aren’t refugees or because there has been a lack of detailed information on their situation,” said Angela Santucci, IOM Emergency Coordinator for Lebanon. “We see it as crucial that Lebanese returnees – whose vulnerabilities are similar to those of refugees – no longer fall into this crack.”

Lebanese families, most of whom had been in Syria for decades, joined the flow of refugees entering Lebanon from 2011 onwards. Arriving with very little, they now find themselves living in difficult circumstances in their country of origin and have often gone under-assisted.

A majority came from the Syrian province of Homs and settled in parts of North Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley where opportunities for work are scarce, and public services are overstretched due to the already huge presence of refugees. Returnees most frequently ranked food, health, shelter and access to work, as their first or second priority needs.

Lebanon – a country of only 4.2 million people – is currently hosting over 800,000 refugees, with thousands more arriving daily. The economic and social impact of this influx has been huge, and without sufficient resources, both the government and humanitarian partners have struggled to keep up.

“This report provides an important opportunity for donors and humanitarian actors to respond to the specific needs and vulnerabilities of Lebanese returnees in ways that are targeted and effective, so that vulnerable returnees will receive more than the limited assistance they have got so far,” said Fawzi Al-Zioud, IOM Representative in Lebanon. “It is particularly important that this assistance comes quickly, given the onset of what is expected to be a very harsh winter.”

Registration, profiling, detailing location, circumstances and needs of the Lebanese returnees from Syria by IOM and HRH started in July 2013, thanks to a funding from the UN’s Emergency Response Fund (ERF). The registration exercise lasted until October 2013 and was implemented by the HRC, with technical support and training from IOM. 

In total, 3,206 households, or 17,510 individuals, were registered across the country.

For more information please contact

Angela Santucci
IOM Lebanon
Email: asantucci@iom.int