My comments

UNHCR under the shade of my pain-tree

 

You're still reading my comments on point 5*

I explained in previous pages about the UN51 convention and the opinion of the government of Lebanon. In this page I’ll speak about UNHCR in briefly.

The UNHCR is an acronym for the United Nations High Commission on Refugees. Broken up, the UNHCR is defined by:

  1. UN: The United Nations was established on October 24, 1945 by 51 countries committed to preserving peace through international cooperation and collective security. Today, nearly every nation in the world belongs to the UN, with membership now totaling 191 countries. See www.un.org for more info.

  1. HC: The High Commissioner is the head officer, and is represented by nearly 5000 workers around the world. The HC is the direct liaison between the population of refugees and asylum seekers and the greater community.

  1. R: The refugees and asylum seekers, of which there are nearly 12,051,120 worldwide. The UNHCR recently added the term of ‘IDP’, meaning Internally Displaced Person. The UN estimates there are 20-25 million IDPs worldwide.

As a whole, one of the UNHCR’s key responsibilities is reporting the situations and needs of the refugees to the greater community. Like you see that HC located between the UN and the R (refugees). HC is the link between the community and the population of the refugees and asylum seekers. Refugees around the world who are seeking assistance approach the UNHCR, who then determine the eligibility of their appeal. If approved, the UNHCR must then evaluate the refugees' needs and provide for them. The last step is to cooperate with the greater community to meet the needs of the refugees and provide assistance wherever possible.

However, the greater global community remains largely unaware of the vast numbers of refugees, or of their specific situations and needs in relation to country of origin, political climate, etc.. Unfortunately the UNHCR has failed to adequately represent our needs, who are refugees in Lebanon. LEBANON: refugees and asylum-seekers at risk

According to my research, which includes several statements from different non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Lebanon is one of the most risky countries for refugees and asylum seekers. Lebanon actually tops the list for providing the maximum risk and the minimum assistance towards refugees. While there are several 'risky countries', there is also usually help to be found - conversely, in Lebanon, the help is nearly zero. Iraqi refugees in Lebanon seek elusive safety

We have nearly nothing of what the other refugees have in the rest of the world (especially protection) concerning our lives in our second (adopted) country. We don’t know what protection means because it doesn't exist here. Instead we read news articles reporting on refugees who have been killed in the streets and jails. There also exists an individual and mass deportation despite the refugees' having legitimate appeals for asylum. It’s easier to not mention the daily lives of the refugees because they're so miserable. We don’t have camps where possible for The UNHCR to provide us with protection, shelter, schools, health care and financial support. We even don’t have the right to work. In simple words we’re don’t have the right to exist in Lebanon! But we must tell these stories in order for others to understand our situation. LEBANON: Killing of asylum-seeker should be thoroughly investigated

For example, refugees in need of medical attention have a very hard time going to hospitals for two main reasons - the first is the risk of arrest: Refugees are actually being arrested in hospitals, meaning refugees would rather die in their own meager rooms than in the hospital. The second reason preventing refugees from seeking medical care in hospitals is the great financial cost. The Lebanese police there arrested him after his recovery

The cost of hospital services is very expensive, even for the Lebanese. Now try to imagine how refugees - who don't have the right to work - can pay expensive hospital fees. In the 8 years that I spent in Lebanon I didn't go to the hospital once - these days I think that I don't even have the right to get sick!

For example, one refugee who'd been in a traffic accident needed emergency surgery, but since he was a refugee he had no money; according to the UN51 convention, the UNHCR is responsible for him, but UNHCR refused to pay the fees. The injured refugee's friends and other activists demonstrated in front of UNHCR office and demanded that the UNHCR pay the fees in order to save the life of the refugee, but to no avail. Where could this happen if not in the refugees' farm?! Protesters ask UNHCR to help Iraqi refugee

Unfortunately the UNHCR ignores these problems and further risks the lives of the refugees and asylum seekers in Lebanon. I have been unable to find any reports about this incident in the news media or UNHCR publications - the same ones that UNHCR uses to appeal to others' to collect money for their work. human-buttons

Important questions that come to mind are, what benefit does the UNHCR get from ignoring our problems, and what could UNHCR do to help solve these problems? The answer is simple; keeping the situation unchanged will keep the benefits! Refugees plead for protection

Keeping the situation like is it now will allow the UNHCR to ask for more money from the donors on the one side, and support their claim to the refugees that "sorry, we can't help you, the situation is very hard and we have a shortage in our financial sources" on the other side. If the situation changes for the better, how could the UNHCR justify asking for more money? Now when anyone asks the UNHCR about our problems the answer is ready: "Lebanon didn't sign the convention" and “UNHCR is facing a huge financial crisis and all our operation budgets have been seriously cut”! As a result, nobody blames the UNHCR! Clever and cheeky excuse. That excuse will help the UNHCR to claim more money to overcome the hardships and barriers imposed by Lebanon.

In my opinion, the people working for the UNHCR think that we are stupid and nobody will bother investigating the situation behind their backs. But the truth of the matter is that the symbiotic relationship between Lebanon and the UNHCR are well documented.

I feel sorrow and pain. The UNHCR simply wants the refugees to live forever in Lebanon without any help or rights, facing many deadly risks alone in catch the mice game between the government of Lebanon and the UNHCR. You'll read about that game in next page.

Return to point 5*