Syria - IOM today organized a sixth charter flight from Beirut to Kassel in Germany for 174 vulnerable Syrian refugees as part of the German government’s Humanitarian Admissions Programme (HAP.)

The refugees, who have been offered temporary resettlement in Germany until the end of the Syrian conflict or until other durable solutions are found, will join 803 other refugees who have already been flown to Germany by IOM since the launch of the programme in September 2013.

The programme, which will eventually resettle a total of 3,500 Syrian refugees, is expected to continue through June 2014.

“The number of Syrian refugees benefiting from this project is a tiny percentage of the number in Lebanon urgently in need of this type of humanitarian assistance,” says Maurizio Santicola, IOM’s Head of Operations in Beirut.

“With the number of refugees in Lebanon now well above 850,000, the prospect of other countries starting to receive refugees for temporary or other resettlement would be a very positive development. IOM stands ready to help should other countries decide to implement similar programs,” he adds.

Syrian refugees accepted for the HAP programme were identified by UNHCR in Lebanon between June and July 2013. Priority was given refugees with special needs, including vulnerable women and children, people with urgent medical needs and/or close family ties to Germany.

Refugees on the IOM charter flight include women, men and 57 children. Two IOM doctors are accompanying the group, which includes one stretcher case.

After arriving in Kassel later today, the refugees will be taken to receptions centres in Friedland and Bramsche.

IOM has provided a total of 27 3-day pre-departure cultural orientation sessions for all adult refugees leaving Lebanon on its flights. The orientation is designed to facilitate their integration in Germany.

IOM and UNHCR have welcomed the German temporary resettlement initiative as an important gesture of solidarity with Lebanon, which has received more refugees than any of Syria’s other neighbours.

IOM Beirut Chief of Mission Fawzi al-Zioud attributes the success of the programme to “the continued cooperation and support of the governments of both Germany and Lebanon, and in particular the Lebanese General Security Directorate.”

The recently launched inter-agency Syria Regional Response Plan is appealing for US$ 1.7 billion to help refugees in Lebanon. An earlier 2013 appeal for US$ 1.2 billion was only 51 percent funded by year end.

For more information, please contact

Samuel Plumbly
IOM Beirut
Email: splumbly@iom.int