Lebanon

A refugee on paper | Executive Magazine

/ Maya Gebeily / Leave a comment

[Published here on March 11, 2014]

The unprecedented rate at which the number of Syrian refugees in the region has grown has caught the world’s attention. After nearly four years of unrest, roughly 1.17 million Syrians are currently registered as refugees in Lebanon — and the number continues to creep up. But an often underreported and misunderstood figure is the number of those who have had their refugee status deactivated. During 2013 and 2014, at least 137,000 Syrians lost active refugee status with UNHCR, the agency managing the international response to the refugee crisis. Vague and noncommittal statements to the press by UNHCR, coupled with sudden and at times brash government announcements on the topic, have added to the confusion. With growing government involvement in registration and deactivation, human rights agencies have expressed concern that Syrian refugees will not continue receiving appropriate protection in Lebanon.

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A Right to Exist | Al Jazeera (Magazine)

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In February, I had the opportunity to work on an essay to accompany photos by an amazing photographer and friend, Felipe Jacome. He took dramatic portraits of Syrian refugee parents in Lebanon and their children, who are often at risk of becoming stateless. One of the women, Dina, told me her story.

It’s published in Al Jazeera Magazine, an elegant publication that’s only available for download on phones and tablets. Check out the little preview below, and click the link to download the magazine.

‘I’ll tell you the story of how we left Syria,’ Dina begins. ‘We got to the last Syrian checkpoint before the border point. ‘Where are you going?’ they asked me. ‘To Lebanon? You can’t go. [The border guard] forced my kids out of the car and pointed his gun at them. He cocked the gun and pointed it at my kids.’ Her voice breaks and tears roll down her cheeks, but Dina continues. ‘The driver tried to calm him down. The border guard said, ‘No, I’ll gun you down and every single one of these kids.’ We got back in the car. I looked at whatever money I had and gave it to him, begging, kissing his hands.’

http://www.aljazeera.com/aboutus/digital-magazine.html

No rest for the weary | Executive Magazine

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regulations [Published here on January 29, 2015] After decades of a relatively open border policy with its eastern neighbor, the beginning of 2015 saw Lebanon take unprecedented steps to monitor the entry and residency of Syrian nationals. Spearheaded by the ministries of interior and social affairs, the policies are an attempt to regulate the nearly 1.2 million Syrians already in Lebanon — as well as others seeking entry in the future.

The first of these measures came in the form of new visa requirements for Syrians and went into effect on January 5, 2015. Despite political pushback and concerns by human rights groups, Lebanese authorities insist this new policy is only the beginning.

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Israel vs Hezbollah: Why another war is unlikely | The Independent

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IndyPhoto

[Published here on January 28, 2015]

Just before noon today along Lebanon’s southern border, a small unit of Hezbollah fighters attacked an Israeli military convoy, killing two Israeli soldiers and wounding 7. Hezbollah’s attack – the most deadly for Israeli forces in nine years – sparked hours of heavy Israeli shelling throughout southern Lebanon and a naval incursion into Lebanese maritime borders.

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Lebanon’s Most Outspoken Politician Wants to Talk to You on Twitter | BuzzFeed

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[Interviewed Walid Jumblatt and contributed reporting to this article, published here on November 20, 2014. Just a note, the story is a lot more fun if you read it with the embedded tweets, so check it out on the link!]

BEIRUT — Walid Joumblatt pulled out his reading glasses before opening his iPad. Oscar, his dog, had just curled himself close to Joumblatt’s feet. “He’s 10 years old now, getting old, like me,” the ex-warlord turned mainstream Lebanese politician joked.

He scrolled gingerly through a queue of Twitter notifications. “I’m trying to answer almost everybody individually,” he said. Joumblatt joined Twitter just three weeks ago and already has more than 25,000 followers, many of whom he answers directly with the same candor and wit that has helped make the 65-year-old an unlikely giant in Lebanese politics.

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Lebanon’s Shia defiant in face of ISIL threat | Al Jazeera

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Image by James Haines-Young (AJE)

[Published here November 5, 2014]

Beirut – Past the barricaded checkpoints, the searching tents, and groups of men with walkie-talkies, hundreds of thousands of Shia Muslims gathered in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Tuesday, to commemorate Ashura.

On this day, Shia Muslims worldwide mourn the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Muhammad – and in Lebanon, despite significant security threats and political deadlock, this year was no different.

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On Violence in Tripoli | Premier Christian Radio

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MENA

Last week, I was able to join Marcus Jones and Dr. Harry Hagopian once more for a talk on their analysis show on Premier Christian Radio. On my second appearance on their show, we discussed the recent violence in Tripoli and how Lebanon’s political deadlock has impeded an effective response to the crisis.

Click on the image above to listen to my input. I start in at about 17:50, but I encourage you to listen to the whole program. Thanks!

Water crisis: High & Dry | Executive Magazine

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Debris and filth litter the camp’s water supplies

[Published originally here]

In an informal tented settlement just outside of Zahle, dozens of Syrian refugee women and girls crowd around faucets pumping water out of a large plastic tank. The “UN truck,” as they call it, has just filled their settlement’s communal tank with thousands of liters of water, and they rush to collect their share before it’s gone. After filling their buckets and bottles, they return, water sloshing, to their tents to drink, cook and clean.

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