World Humanitarian Day - UNHCR aid workers in Lebanon

UNHCR team (left to right: Farah, Awatef and Roberta) visits Sidra and her new baby sister in their new home in North Lebanon. Sidra was only 40-days-old when the war started in Syria. Despite her very young age, she was profoundly affected by the violence and shelling she survived back home. "When she was still very young, she kept on crying and screaming, trying to cover her ears all the time," said her grandmother. When the cold season started, Sidra's family was forced to move to a new place to keep warm and dry during the winter months. With heavy snow, lashing rain and temperatures falling below freezing, winter in Lebanon can be very harsh, especially for the refugees who have had to resort to living in unfinished buildings, garages or tents in high-altitude areas. Winter assistance provided by UNHCR allowed Sidra's family to buy a heating stove to keep warm in their newly found home. They also received blankets and mattresses that they desperately needed to weather the harsh winter storms. In 2015 UNHCR provided hundreds of thousands of refugees with stoves, blankets, cash to purchase fuel and other items, as well as weatherproofing kits to protect their shelters from the elements. UNHCR staff and partners worked tirelessly to identify the most vulnerable refugees and help them prepare for winter, as well as to bring urgent relief to those affected by the heavy snowstorms that hit Lebanon at the beginning of the year.

UNHCR field associate Nisreen plays with Nidal at the Kasab hospital in Saida, where the 18-month-old Syrian boy is recovering from an emergency operation. Despite the happiness of seeing their child improve, his family was very worried as they do not have the means to pay for his hospital bills. "As a humanitarian worker, I got to witness his mother's relief when we delivered the news that UNHCR would pay a large part of Nidal's medical bills," says Nisreen. "In fact, the hospital where Nidal is receiving treatment is the same where I was once treated as a child. I am thankful that my family did not have to worry about covering my medical bills." Accessing hospital care is often prohibitive for Syrian refugees, due to the high cost of hospital care in Lebanon. UNHCR covers 75% of hospital bills for life-saving and emergency operations. "To see Nidal smile so soon after his operation showed his incredible resilience," said Nisreen. "This is a quality that I have always admired, yet I must admit that it has a much different effect when coming from such a young boy. It's moments like these that get me through difficult days."

Awatef, a UNHCR programme associate, met Omar when she visited Qwechra School in northern Lebanon, as part of her regular visits to the field. "Omar couldn't go to school for two years. He was in Grade 5 when he left Syria. Now he has resumed his education and his willingness to learn has been disarming," she said. "Omar, like many refugee children, lost almost everything in his life, but not his hope, not his dreams. These children dream to become doctors, teachers, engineers... And going to school is a step forward in pursuing their dreams." In Lebanon, there are close to 365,000 school-aged Syrian refugee children between 6 and 17 years old registered with UNHCR. Due to poverty and to limited school absorption capacity, only 106,000 of these children were enrolled in formal education in the past school year. UNHCR and other agencies continue their efforts alongside the Ministry of Education to allow more Syrian children to continue their education. When the cold season started, Sidra's family was forced to move to a new place to keep warm and dry during the winter months. With heavy snow, lashing rain and temperatures falling below freezing, winter in Lebanon can be very harsh, especially for the refugees who have had to resort to living in unfinished buildings, garages or tents in high-altitude areas. Winter assistance provided by UNHCR allowed Sidra's family to buy a heating stove to keep warm in their newly found home. They also received blankets and mattresses that they desperately needed to weather the harsh winter storms. In 2015 UNHCR provided hundreds of thousands of refugees with stoves, blankets, cash to purchase fuel and other items, as well as weatherproofing kits to protect their shelters from the elements. UNHCR staff and partners worked tirelessly to identify the most vulnerable refugees and help them prepare for winter, as well as to bring urgent relief to those affected by the heavy snowstorms that hit Lebanon at the beginning of the year.

During an aid distribution in Beirut with humanitarian partners, UNHCR set up a help desk to give advice to Syrian refugee families and to provide them with information on how and where to access services. Those in need of further support were referred to staff who could advise them on their specific concerns that were present at the distribution. "Refugees are approaching us to ask how to renew their registration certificates. Others come to see us because they need legal advice, or social counseling," said Suzanne who has been working with UNHCR for two years. "I am here today to assist any refugee family through answering their questions and giving them necessary information to access available services," she added. Before moving to UNHCR, she used to work at a jewelry shop as an auditor. "I am happier now although it is a stressful job. At the end of the day, I feel that I am helping other people."

Bilal is a field assistant working for UNHCR in North Lebanon. During a recent home visit, he met Mamdouh, a Syrian refugee living with his family in an informal settlement. "As you can see, there is no public electricity that reaches our tent," said Mamdouh. As the crisis wears on, refugees are increasingly vulnerable and struggle to meet even their most basic needs. With poor shelter conditions and scarce economic resources, Mamdouh's family is among the most vulnerable refugee families in Lebanon who have been prioritized under UNHCR's cash assistance programme. "We are using this assistance to pay for electricity and water but also to buy food and medicine." Cash assistance is refugees' preferred means of support, as it enables them to prioritize and address their own needs. Bilal spends a lot of his time visiting refugees to identify their needs and give them information on available assistance. "I am in regular contact with refugees. I see how they live, their daily struggle and their frustration. But our efforts are still making a difference in their lives."

Sam, a senior protection officer, started working with UNHCR back in 2001. "I chose UNHCR because of a youthful dream to work in the field of human rights and help underprivileged and vulnerable communities. Having grown up in America, a melting pot of cultures from around the world, inspired me to go out into that world and do my part for the betterment of others." Sam continued to work with UNHCR as a Junior Professional Officer (JPO) funded by the US government. The JPO program provides opportunities for young professionals of various countries to work with the UN. Currently in Lebanon, Sam's work focuses on government law and policy practice, including strategic advocacy on law reform, building the capacity of public institutions to respond to the needs of refugees (including Syrians and Iraqis), and developing programs for protection of refugee rights, particularly relating to the security sector and law enforcement. "I think what strikes you in Lebanon is the scale of the emergency. With more than 1.1 million refugees in a small country such as this, humanitarian work has become a matter of real national significance and every facet has implications and ramifications on every sector of governance and society. Being part of the response to the Syria crisis, one of the largest refugee displacements in recent memory, has also been quite a privilege."

Mina, a six-year-old refugee from Syria, poses with Elie, shaping a love heart with her hands. She was one of the 500 children who participated in a football tournament organized by UNHCR and partners, to bring together Syrian and Lebanese boys and girls from eight municipalities in Mount Lebanon. More than half of the refugees in Lebanon are children, uprooted from their homes and schools in Syria. As their time in displacement prolongs, many suffer from psychological distress brought on by their refugee situation, which often adds on to the trauma experienced during the war. UNHCR used sports as a vehicle to create socialization opportunities and build positive relationships between Syrian and Lebanese children. Elie is a community service assistant that has been passionately involved in this initiative. "When you work in the field, you have the opportunity to spend more than half of your day in contact with persons in need. You listen to their stories, their hopes and concerns. And that's what I like'" he said. "I love what I do because I have the chance to use my skills and knowledge to help people. I studied clinical psychology and I assist refugees with psychosocial support and one-on-one counseling sessions. The only thing that makes me feel frustrated sometimes is that we cannot give refugees all they need."