BEIRUT, Mar 10 (NNN-NNA) – The International Organisation of Migration (IOM), yesterday, launched a project to support the livelihood of Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese communities in Lebanon.
The one-year project aimed to shore up 604 Lebanese and Syrian people, by fostering employment and income-generating opportunities, in the communities lacking public services in North and Akkar governorates, and Beqaa Valley, according to the UN agency.
Sponsored by the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), the programme came “at a critical time when so many people in Lebanon are struggling amid the economic and financial downturn, the COVID-19 pandemic, and most recently, the explosions at the port of Beirut,” said Mathieu Luciano, head of IOM’s Lebanese Office.
For her part, Nouf Al-Kaabi, acting manager at the QFFD, said, the programme uses a holistic approach to mitigate economic hardships, address education needs, and instill “a sense of purpose” in these communities, with a focus on the unemployed and women.
Nearly 1.5 million Syrian refugees are currently living in Lebanon, of whom about 950,000 are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.– NNN-NNA
