Q&A

See question 1.

See question 1.

If you are a Lebanese citizen who has lived as a resident in Syria since 2006 or earlier and returned to Lebanon after March 2011 (as a result of the crisis), you should approach a local authority (municipality or SDC) and ask them to refer your case to the High Relief Commission (HRC), the Lebanese government body tasked with providing humanitarian assistance to Lebanese returnees. Alternatively, you may approach the HRC headquarters in Beirut directly (Address: STARCO Centre, Block C, 8th Floor, Omar Al Daouk Street, Minet El-Hosn, Beirut; Tel.: 76-042080).

As Lebanese citizens, returnees are eligible for assistance and services provided by government entities, including the Ministry of Social Affairs’ Social Development Centres (SDCs), which are located across the country. At SDCs, returnees can benefit from a range of services, including healthcare, psycho-social support, daycare facilities and elementary training. At SDCs, returnees may also apply to become people who are benefiting of the government’s National Poverty Targeting Programme, which provides assistance to the poorest Lebanese citizens. Some international organisations are also providing assistance to Lebanese returnees. In order to make yourself known to these organisations, please present your situation at a local municipality and ask to be referred to the High Relief Commission, the government entity responsible for coordinating assistance to Lebanese returnees.

No, UNHCR does not record Palestine Refugees as they do not fall under their mandate. You can record your details with UNRWA once you have been in Lebanon for 14 days; however, you can access UNRWA health care centres and schools as soon as you arrive. UNHCR registers Syrian refugees, so if any members of your family are Syrian, they should approach UNHCR offices for details of registration.

In case your spouse is a Palestine refugee from Syria registered with UNRWA, the rest of the family (regardless of their nationality) can also be recorded with UNRWA for emergency assistance.