Mission Lebanon

CHIFFRES

Mortality infant:27‰
Life expectancy at birth: 72
HDI : 0.759; ranked 81/177
Actual GDP/inhabitant ($) : 4,224

Beneficiaries
directly: at least 4,000 people (already in prison or recently entering prison) at Roumieh central prison.
indirectly: approx. 5,500 Lebanese prisoners in Roumieh prison, the medical and non medical prison staff at Roumieh, local teams, project partners
Staff local: 8 ; expatriate: 2
Sources of funding : French Foreign Ministry, UNHCR, MdM
Budget 2005: 170,763 euros

Shaken by the assassination in February 2005 of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, which led to the rushed withdrawal of Syrian troops, Lebanon remains an area of tensions. The country is a genuine crossroads; it houses hundreds of thousands of foreign workers and forms a transit place for people fleeing wars and dictatorial regimes in the Near East. Lebanon has not signed the Geneva Convention of 1951 and still refuses to be a reception country. Migrant workers, refugees and asylum seekers are strongly discriminated against and are often arbitrarily imprisoned; they suffer from extremely precarious living conditions.

Access to care for imprisoned migrants

Beirut

Activities:

At the beginning of 2005 MdM started work in Roumieh central prison in partnership with the Lebanese NGO, Ajem. The work involves the following activities:

  • welcoming new foreign inmates with welfare assistance, directing them towards the medical team and the welfare and legal care organisations (including Ajem);
  • medical triage in the wings;
  • medical consultations three times a week and monitoring of patients;
  • welfare and legal follow-up;
  • rehabilitation and supplying health equipment, distribution of blankets and hygiene products;
  • information sessions for prisoners, communicating IEC (information, education and communication) programmes/ sessions on scabies and hygiene.

Outlook:

Continue the programme in 2006: start activities focused on training and health education in other Lebanese prisons; set up information and awareness activities on imprisoned migrants' access to rights amongst the Lebanese authorities and the general public.