Lebanon

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Lebanon is a Republic with a democratic parliamentary system. It is situated on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, bounded on the north and east by Syria and on the south by Israel. Lebanese population, known as a multi-confessional nation, is estimated around 4 million inhabitants.

Palestinians (350,000 according to the UNRWA, 500,000 according to the Lebanese Ministry of Employment) constitute the vast majority of foreigners. They live in camps that are still precarious settlements even if they have become more like permanent neighbourhoods, or in clusters of Palestinian homes outside the camps, in the so-called “gatherings”.

Lebanon has been through longstanding conflict and economic hardship. The 1975-1991 civil war seriously damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure. In 2002, the Government began an economic austerity programme to reduce the ballooning national debt. The economic crisis has had a particularly strong impact on the living conditions of its vulnerable population.

The July-August 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict brought massive displacement of civilians within Lebanon and extensive damage to the country’s infrastructure. The extensive use of cluster bombs during the conflict has left hundreds of thousands of unexploded cluster munitions, posing a real and persistent danger to civilians returning to their homes and carrying out their daily livelihood activities.

DISABILITY
There is little reliable demographic and economic data in Lebanon. According to the World Health Organisation’s definitions, yielded disability rates are between 7 to 10 %, i.e. 280,000 to 400,000 persons. The situation in Lebanon makes it difficult to know the accurate impact on the target population. The figures provided by the Ministry of Social Affairs give only the numbers and needs of people who got their Personal Disability Identification card.

Disability issues have traditionally been conceptualized through a social model of charity and welfare. As such, responses to the needs of disabled people have centred on specialized service provision, largely carried out by charitable organizations.
This conceptualization has also contributed to the development of a policy of institutionalization as a primary response. This is reflected not only in government policy but also in the policies of development groups and NGOs. Whilst the right of other marginalized groups has come to the forefront of the development agenda, disability rights remain largely ignored.
           
Given the efforts of the disability rights movement in Lebanon, a law was endorsed in 2000. Law 220/2000 aims to enable disabled people to fully integrate and participate effectively in society. The law abolishes existing laws restricting the rights of disabled people and substitutes them with a supportive law designed to enable disabled citizens to live like other citizens and enjoy the same rights.

In spite of the existence of the program of support for disabled people, supported by the Ministry of Social Affairs, it covered only 10% of the total number of disabled people.
The main weaknesses are the lack of enforcement mechanisms which should define proper policies and allocate adequate financial and human resources for the implementation of the law, and an unequal geographical distribution and accessibility of the services. The law is not implemented in the poorest regions and in remote areas. The social system for disabled people in rural areas is almost inexistent.

Access to adequate services in the fields of healthcare, education, employment and social protection is very limited in the Lebanese rural areas. The south and north of Lebanon are the poorest regions of the country. On top of this, the southern region was heavily affected by the war 2006 and the Northern region of Akkar suffered from the Nar El Bared Crisis, resulting by an increasing number of IPD and disabled people.  

BACKGROUND
Handicap International has worked in Lebanon since 1992, supporting local associations that work in the fields of rehabilitation and psychosocial support. In recent years, we have been working with:

• Arc-en-Ciel, a local organization Handicap International worked with in Bekaa to improve rehabilitation services offered to disabled people in the area (2004-2006).
• The Ghassan Kanafani Cultural Foundation (GKCF) kindergarten in Mar Elias camp. This structure is for children with multiple disabilities and provides them with medical care and education (2003-2006).
• Najdeh Association: income-generating activities
• The Lebanese University: technical and pedagogical support for the creation of academic training in occupational therapy
• Sesobel: training in basic occupational therapy techniques for physiotherapists and the occupational therapy section in the centre
• The Lebanese Occupational Therapist Association. 

RECENT & ONGOING ACTIVITIES

1) Psychosocial support and psychological care provision to Palestinian refugees in Lebanon:

• Psychotherapeutic support to children and adolescents
• Training of Health professionals on identification of psychological and psychiatric disorders
• Social activities for children in centres

2) Support the “Lebanon Support” coordination platform:

• Provision of extensive data on Palestinian camps
• In-depth vulnerability analysis and maps
• Information coordination for all the stakeholders working in post-crisis humanitarian response

3) Support to the project of improving the living conditions of disabled people and their families encompassing the improvement of economic and educational levels in the Mashghara area through self advocacy training and support.

PARTNERS

• The Lebanese Physical Handicapped Union
• Family Guidance Centre/NISCVT ICARE
• Najdeh association
• General Union of Palestinian Women
• ICARE & Zoukak (local NGOs)
• Community Based Rehabilitation (local NGO)
• UNRWA

THE TEAM
The team is composed of 11 employees (2 expatriates and 9 local staff).

CONTACTS
Tel / fax: + 961 1 388 060
E-mail: director.hi.lb@gmail.com