The Netherlands contributes EUR 5 million to UNHCR’s lifesaving assistance for Syrian refugees in Lebanon

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in Lebanon, has received EUR 5 million from the Government of the Netherlands to support UNHCR’s cash assistance programme for Syrian refugees, a lifeline for the most vulnerable refugees in Lebanon.

20 Dec 2018

BEIRUT, Lebanon, 20 December (UNHCR) – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in Lebanon, has received EUR 5 million from the Government of the Netherlands to support UNHCR’s cash assistance programme for Syrian refugees, a lifeline for the most vulnerable refugees in Lebanon. This latest contribution from the Government of the Netherlands will substantially contribute in helping the most severely vulnerable Syrian refugee families in Lebanon to cover their most critical needs.

According to a UN vulnerability study, over two thirds of Syrian refugees in Lebanon live under the poverty line, on less than USD 3.8 per day. Limited resources, coupled with increasing needs, have led many refugees to adopt negative coping strategies, such as child labour, borrowing money and cutting down on food or health care.

 

“This generous contribution from the Government of the Netherlands and its people is a strong show of solidarity with Syrian refugees in Lebanon. UNHCR is grateful for this donation which will provide crucial relief and protection to refugees desperately struggling to survive” says Mireille Girard, UNHCR’s Representative in Lebanon.

 

In support of national efforts in Lebanon, UNHCR’s cash assistance programme is a vital tool to help the most vulnerable refugee families make ends meet. UNHCR is supporting around 33,000 of the most severely vulnerable Syrian refugee families with multi-purpose cash. They receive USD 175 every month to help them cover the basic essentials of life, including healthcare, food, and rent, and reduce the risk of falling into harmful coping strategies.

 

The EUR 5 million (USD 5.8 million) contribution from the Netherlands will cover a significant part of these critical needs and help UNHCR ensure that the most severely vulnerable families are not left behind. The contribution is part of a larger EUR 10 million donation to UNHCR’s cash assistance programme in both Lebanon and Jordan.

 

“Improving the protection of refugees is a top priority” said Margret Verwijk, the Head of International Cooperation at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Lebanon. The Netherlands have a strategic focus to protect and empower women and children and is also helping UNHCR to address sexual and gender based violence and fund education programmes worldwide.

 

The Netherlands is one of UNHCR’s most important partners and is UNHCR’s second largest donor of flexible funds globally. The Netherlands contributed in total with USD 76 million to UNHCR last year, of which USD 52 million were flexible funds, and USD 14 million was channelled specifically to the Syria crisis and Lebanon.