Lebanon

In 2017, Access to Health initiated a project to assess the mental health needs of Syrian displaced in Lebanon. 

Roughly the size of Maryland, Lebanon now hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world, with approximately 700,000 of the 1.1 million Syrian displaced entering the country in the last 2 years. With over ¼ of the population in Lebanon now Syrian displaced, the local infrastructure – hospitals, schools, and economy – is feeling the strain of this massive influx of people. Simultaneously, Syrians are fleeing a war marked by extreme violence and killing. For the moment, at least, Lebanon is one of the few countries to which Syrians can flee.

In March, 2017, a nine-person team consisting of JDs, MBAs, and faculty traveled to Lebanon to conduct qualitative interviews and assessments related to the core areas of mental health and adolescent combatants, child labor, and the use of "safe spaces" for women and youth to gather. While there, students met with Heartland Alliance International, the Near East Foundation (NEF), Basmeh & Zeitooneh, and Arc en Ciel, among others. The participants have since incorporated the information from the trip, and used the fieldwork component to refine final recommendations for different strategies.

Additionally, the ATH began a collaboration with the Medill School of Journalism, specifically related to its work with the Syrian refugee population in Lebanon. As a result, a group of students from Medill and Medill faculty traveled to Lebanon in May 2018 to document the Syrian crisis, the work of NGOs such as CLDH in addressing the human and legal rights, including health rights, of Lebanese and Syrian displaced, and the ongoing efforts of ATH to work in the region.

ATH continued innovative engagements with Basmeh & Zeitooneh through the development of a strategic business plan to grow their sustainability strategies while helping to grow the income generating programs provided to Syrian refugee women and youth.

In response to the economic crisis in the country in 2020, and at the request of the Near East Foundation , an economic social development organization, ATH partnered with  NEF to develop a financial literacy curriculum for vulnerable Lebanese and Syrian refugees that they serve as well as a know your rights training program for Syrian refugees who wish to return to Syria.  

Resources

From Chicago to the Middle East- Short documentary by Jinitzail Hernandez and Jessica Nieberg in Medill Reports
Turning Back to Lebanon -- A Lebanese Restaurant Owner's Choice of Fighting for LGBTQ Rights-Short documentary by Zhejun (Eunice) Wang, a Medill graduate.
Domestic Workers in Lebanon Raise Their Voices- Short documentary by Craig Duff, Professor at Medill and award-winning video journalist
From Lebanon, Lessons in Law and Life