Helping the most vulnerable – need for information & medical access at the Ouzai Shelter

The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has impacted all communities; whether under strict quarantine in Italy or Spain, or enforcing social distancing and self-quarantine in other parts of Europe and the rest of the world.

There are however, often forgotten communities who have not received guidance on how to avoid the spread of this highly contagious virus. One of these communities is the 1,500 individuals from Syria that live at the Ouzai Shelter in Saida, Lebanon.

The shelter is home to 1,500 men, women, children and youth living in a 4-floor building, with one room for each family (typically 5-8 people) and a shared bathroom on each floor. Read more about the community in Saida in our report “Not Just A School.”

As a precaution, our education and empowerment centre in Saida has suspended operations, however, we continue to look for to support the community.

The UNHCR and the Saida municipality have distributed material aid to the community including Clorox and hygiene kits, as well as implored them to not leave the shelter. Some of members of the community work in different cities in Lebanon and their continued mobility increases chance of  contracting the virus and bringing it to the shelter.

However, without proper information about the virus, the materials will not be as effective.

On Monday morning the municipality sterilized the entire shelter, and are further enforcing lockdown measures that are in place across all of Lebanon.

Even still, this community needs three basic things:

1) hygiene materials in order to continue to sanitize their place of stay and be sure they are safe from contracting the virus

2) accurate information on the COVID-19 coronavirus and how to use those sanitation materials for prevention and

3) access to screening and immediate medical services

In order to protect this community, help #FlattenTheCurve and provide them these three basic needs, we need your support.

Please follow our social media over the next few days, where we will be providing details of the situation for our families in the refugee community living in Lebanon and how we will be working to #FlattenTheCurve.

If you wish to help us get started, donate now.