Date: Aug 11, 2018 Source: The Daily Star U.N. spent nearly $1B in Lebanon in 2017 Abby Sewell| The Daily Star BEIRUT: The United Nations spent nearly $1 billion in Lebanon in 2017 on a wide-ranging set of programs, from food and cash aid for refugees to the training of security forces and the modernization of civil record-keeping systems. The international organization outlined the activities of all of its agencies in Lebanon in a report released Friday covering the first year of implementing the U.N. Strategic Framework for the country, aimed at bolstering security, domestic stability and economic development in the country. The framework outlines the U.N.’s priorities for Lebanon over a four-year period, “with a focus on common vision in support of Lebanon’s security, political, human rights and developmental priorities,” U.N. Resident Coordinator Philippe Lazzarini wrote. While the foremost goal of the plan is “to contribute to maintain the stability of Lebanon at a time of increased exposure to the regional crisis” by mitigating the impacts of the war in Syria, Lazzarini wrote, it also includes initiatives intended to put the country on a path to sustainable development. U.N. agencies spent a total of $950 million on humanitarian and development activities in Lebanon in 2017, of which the largest share – nearly $300 million – came from UNICEF for education programs, followed by the World Food Program and the UNHCR, the U.N.’s refugee agency. Education-related spending included the physical rehabilitation of 123 school buildings, including 55 that were updated to include facilities for students with special needs. It also included the Back to School campaign, which primarily targeted refugee families to ensure school-age children would be enrolled in Lebanese public schools. According to the report, the campaign reached 69,000 households. It credited the campaign with spurring a 13 percent increase in enrollment by non-Lebanese children in public schools compared to the previous year, and a 3 percent increase among Lebanese children. Much of the U.N. spending also went into basic food and shelter aid for Syrian refugees – just under 1 million of whom are registered in Lebanon. For instance, 880,000 Syrian received food cards and vouchers at different periods throughout the year, according to the report. The agency also provided water and sanitation systems for Syrian and Palestinian refugees living in camps. While the U.N.’s work with refugees may be some of its most high-profile in Lebanon, the report also outlined programs targeted at Lebanese populations and institutions. On the security side, the United Nations helped the Lebanese Internal Security Forces launch a training program for municipal police forces, aimed at professionalizing their ranks and increasing the effectiveness of investigations, conducting training in 40 municipalities. It also provided counterterrorism training to security agencies, including a focus on protecting human rights while investigating terrorism cases. Human rights groups have pointed to widespread practices of torturing suspects arrested on terrorism-related charges. The U.N. has also assisted in mapping areas at risk of outbreaks of conflict and in setting up community committees in 38 “vulnerable municipalities” to “deal with local tensions and promote peace building through dialogue and joint activities,” the report said. U.N. agencies also carried out economic development activities, including job training for Syrian and Palestinian refugees and poor Lebanese populations; assisting in the development of industrial zones; and multipurpose projects to create jobs while reconstructing irrigation canals, regenerating farmland and planting and maintaining forests. One of the more seemingly mundane projects could have a major impact on the lives of Lebanese citizens – and prevent more people from ending up stateless. The U.N. assisted in reproducing and digitizing handwritten records of birth, marriage and divorce at 10 civil registry centers, where records were “in danger of being damaged and lost,” the report said, adding: “The improved registers are essential to ensure and sustain political and civil rights for people in Lebanon.”