Acting U.N. Special Coordinator Visits the Bekaa

Acting U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Pernille Kardel on Wednesday visited the Bekaa and met with Syrian refugees at a tented settlement in Qab Elias where she heard their accounts of the challenges they faced, particularly those faced by women and youth, her office said.

She also interacted with Lebanese municipal authorities, including the municipality of Qab Elias and the Union of Municipalities of al-Bohaira, which includes the municipalities of Qaraoun, Aaitanit, Baaloul,  Saghbine,  and Mashgharah.

“I was impressed by the generosity I witnessed from Lebanese host communities and municipalities eight years into the Syrian conflict and  it was moving to hear refugees’ stories, and their expressed desire to return home,” said Kardel.

The Acting Special Coordinator added that until they can do so, the international community, including through the upcoming conferences in Paris and Brussels, will continue to offer necessary support and assistance.

She said support for refugees as well as stabilization projects to the host communities remained a priority for the U.N.

In Zahle, the U.N. official visited the Office of the U.N. High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and a UNHCR registration/counselling center. She also visited the U.N. Development Program (UNDP) office, and UNDP’s irrigation project in Qab Elias, sewage treatment plant in Aaitanit and solar lighting systems in Qaraoun.