Beirut: The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) has announced that Lebanon’s economic crisis, Covid-19 lockdowns and the 2020 Beirut port blasts have exacerbated the suffering of migrants in the country, many of whom have lost their jobs and are struggling to feed their families.
The agency’s analysis, which interviewed 1,061 migrants and was released on Wednesday, revealed that 50 per cent of the respondents reported being unemployed, with the majority losing their jobs in the last quarter of 2020, reports Xinhua news agency.
Over 50 per cent of respondents also reported that they are unable to meet their food needs.
Approximately half of all respondents stated that they have substandard and insecure accommodation with inadequate shelter structures, unaffordable rent, threat of imminent eviction, and damaged homes, according to the IOM.
At least 20 per cent of respondents reported health problems, including chronic physical and mental health issues requiring continuous treatment.
Many have reported that they are being subjected to various forms of physical and psychological abuse including bullying, beating, sexual harassment and forced to work excessive hours, and denial of wages.
“As the economic situation continues to deteriorate and employment opportunities remain limited, migrants’ vulnerability to exploitation and abuse is likely to increase,” said Mathieu Luciano, head of the IOM Office in Lebanon.
“Humanitarian organisations are slowly expanding their emergency relief programs to address the immediate needs of vulnerable migrants.
“However, more sustainable solutions to alleviate migrant suffering, such as voluntary return and reintegration assistance, remain a glaring gap,” he said.
According to the UN Refugee Agency, Lebanon remains the country hosting the largest number of refugees per capita.
There are, an estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees, and some 16,000 refugees of Ethiopian, Iraqi, Sudanese and other origins, in addition to over 200,000 Palestinian refugees.
An estimated 88 per cent of Syrian refugees in Lebanon are living below the extreme poverty line.
