So, What's the Problem?
The majority of refugees have fled their country away from the continuous threat of death due to the ongoing conflict, however, they did not normally face in Syria the problem of burying the ones who passed away from their family, unless they were enclosed in a besieged area or under constant bombardment, preventing them from the “luxury” of burying their dead.
Things are different for Syrian refugees in Lebanon. There are several factors that affect how difficult or easy this process is for the bereaved family. There are four main factors:
- The geographical area
- The security situation
- The sectarian affiliation
- The economic situation
Despite the efforts of some generous Lebanese and Syrian groups and individuals, there are still many statements concerning secret night burials, blackmailing and bribing cases, and even cases a bereaved family that was forced to hand over the corpse of their son to a bunch of strangers to bury him in the vicinity of Arsal, without being able to accompany their little one to his final resting place.
Such stories show that individual and group initiatives and applied solutions to the problem of cemeteries are not enough. In an area where the Lebanese have been suffering from problems concerning the availability and high fees, even before the onset of the Syrian refugee crisis, the needed solutions turn out to be at the official and government levels.
URDA & Qatar Charity's First Step
Funded by a generous donation from Qatar Charity, URDA has recently allocated land for Syrian refugees in the Akkar area (North Lebanon) to use as a cemetery to ensure the dignified burial of the dead among refugees.
Thank you Qatar Charity for being proactive in supporting the vulnerable in Lebanon!