Published on AL JAZEERA
30 May 2015
Nour is 20 and has nothing. The house where she used to live with her parents and two-year-old son in rural Damascus was hit by a rocket during a battle between the Syrian regime and Jabhat al-Nusra, prompting her to flee the country with her son.
«I spent days walking between bombs,» Nour, who did not provide a last name, told Al Jazeera. Her husband disappeared more than two years ago. Two months ago, Nour finally reached the Lebanese border and secured a tourist visa to enter the country – but she is now broke and living with her sister.
Nour hoped to be registered as a refugee by UNHCR in order to obtain a bit of assistance, but a few days before her appointment date this month, she was informed that her appointment had been cancelled.
Thousands of Syrians are in her same situation after UNHCR stopped registering Syrian refugees in Lebanon in early May, responding to a request from the Lebanese government, which is aiming to restrict the presence of Syrians in the country. As a result, newly arriving Syrian refugees will be unable to access international assistance and protection, making them even more vulnerable.
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