International Alert and partner organisation Amel Association International (AMEL) are building trust between Lebanese and Syrian refugee communities by encouraging a more coordinated approach to healthcare provision.
We held a meeting on the topic in the Haret Hreik municipality of Mount Lebanon, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, which was attended by representatives of the municipality, the Ministry of Social Affairs and local NGOs.
“The support of the municipality in improving coordination between different influential healthcare groups will enable much needed sustainability for their work”, said our senior Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Layal Assaad, who led the meeting.
It was agreed that while a number of healthcare organisations already exist in Haret Hreik and its surrounding area for both Lebanese and Syrian refugee communities, they aren’t well coordinated and don’t fully understand one another’s services and target groups. The lack of financial support available for health services catering for both Lebanese and Syrians was also discussed.
As a result of the meeting, a representative committee for healthcare organisations will be set up. This will provide a platform where they can update each other about what local services they are providing, exchange news and take a common action that protects both host and refugee communities from health problems. Committee members will meet monthly and work under the umbrella of Haret Hreik municipality.
“Sometimes the solution is so simple! Take this coordination meeting as an example, it is a non-costly activity but at the same time we are able to achieve great improvement in the area’s health situation”, said one participant.
Find out more about our work in Lebanon.