City Watch

Field Watch

The blame game over shelter responsibilities is playing out in a car parking in Saida

For over a month, around 700 Syrian refugees displaced by Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon have been living in a parking lot in Saida City. Stranded without alternatives, their situation remained unresolved until the property owner’s influence and the protection of private property rights prompted officials to take action—not to find a solution, but to evict them, leaving their fate uncertain.

Policy Watch

Three Million Euros to Rehabilitate the Mar Mikhael Station:

An Opportunity to Utilize Vacant State Properties for Wartime Needs.

مع استمرار العدوان الإسرائيلي، يزداد النزوح في لبنان بشكل سريع، ممّا يؤدي إلى كثافة عالية في مراكز الإيواء الرسمية. العديد من النازحين مضطرون للبقاء في العراء أو في سياراتهم، بينما تبقى أملاك الدولة شاغرة. تشير بيانات وزارة المالية إلى وجود 1285 عقاراً ملك الدولة في بيروت، مما يوفر فرصة لإيواء النازحين إذا تم إدراجها في خطة الطوارئ. من بين هذه الأملاك، تعتبر محطة قطار مار مخايل موقعاً مناسباً، خصوصاً بعد تلقّي الحكومة مؤخراً هبة إيطالية بقيمة 3.15 مليون يورو لإعادة تأهيلها.

Policy Watch

Displaced Syrians, between an emergency plan that excludes them and the UNHCR that ignores them

In Saida, 145 displaced Syrian families are living in a parking lot due to their exclusion from the relief response outlined in Lebanon’s emergency plan, which prioritizes Lebanese citizens. Both the municipality and the UNHCR are refusing to carry the responsibility for their shelter, with the UNHCR advising refugees to seek shelter elsewhere, leaving many homeless. This piece calls for the UNHCR to fulfill its responsibility by either establishing shelters for displaced Syrians or advocating for non-discriminatory access to shelter with the Lebanese government.

Field Watch

Beirut Municipality removes the tents of the displaced in Ramlet el Bayda while using force and without securing alternatives

On Thursday October 31st, the security forces proceeded to remove the tents that were inhabited by more than seventy displaced persons in Ramlet al-Bayda, to transfer them to a new shelter in the Karantina area. However, these plans excluded non-Lebanese, causing them another displacement or homelessness.

Policy Watch

International Conference to Support Lebanon: Prioritizing Transparency

France will host an international conference on October 24 to raise $1 billion for Lebanon’s urgent humanitarian needs, infrastructure repairs, and ceasefire negotiations. An earlier appeal raised only 15.1% of the $426 million needed for displaced people. There is a strong need for transparency in aid distribution and political action to address the root causes of Lebanon’s crisis, particularly the Israeli occupation.

Field Watch

Unequal Distribution of Shelters: Undermining Shared Social Responsibility

Beirut has 114 designated shelters for displaced individuals, including public schools, private educational centers, and other facilities. These shelters are housing around 40,000 displaced people, mostly in crowded areas like Mazraa, Ras Beirut, …

Field Watch

The displaced bring life back to a vacant building on Jeanne d’Arc Street

فُتح مبنى خالِ في شارع جان دارك لاستقبال النازحين جرّاء الحرب الإسرائيلية. إلّا أن الإعلام ضجّ استنكاراً لما اعتبره تعدٍ على الأملاك الخاصة وحقوق كبار رجال الأعمال، بدلاً من الاحتفال بتحويل الشقق الفارغة التي بُنِيَت على أنقاض النسيج العمراني الاجتماعي للأحياء، إلى مساكن تلعب دورها الاجتماعي الحقيقي في تأمين المأوى خاصة في أوقات الحرب والأزمات.

Field Watch

 Horsh Beirut Closed Again

On July 24, 2024, the Beirut Governor approved the closure of Horsh Beirut only allowing the entry of visitors who obtain prior permission. This illegal closure is nothing but a confirmation of the state’s failure to open, manage, and guard municipal parks and enhance their role as public spaces open to all residents of the city.

Policy Watch

The fate of Beirut’s port between the World Bank and the French company

After the Port of Beirut explosion, international bodies, including the World Bank, EU, and UN, assessed the damage and proposed the 3RF framework to guide the reconstruction efforts. Since October 2021, the World …

Policy Watch

The Sin El Fil Municipality Circular Deprives Syrian Children of Their Right to Education

On June 25, 2024, the Sin El Fil Municipality issued a circular forcing new measures related to the presence of Syrian refugees within its jurisdiction. The circular includes two clauses. The first one …

Field Watch

The secondhand market in Tripoli: 

The municipality 'cleans' the city of its poor

Starting Saturday June 29, and over several consecutive days, the secondhand market in Tripoli witnessed a full removal process, as part of the campaign to remove public property violations in Tripoli. This removal …

Field Watch

Roof Collapse in Al Basha Neighborhood:

Absence of Safe Housing Options Kills Residents

A tragic roof collapse in Beirut’s Al Basha neighbourhood exposed the harsh realities of Lebanon’s housing crisis. The incident claimed the lives of a mother and her child,  highlighting the struggles of low-income …