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Reconstruction began Saturday at an informal tented settlement for Syrian refugees in Western Bekaa after a devastating fire left seven children dead and dozens of shelters destroyed.
Seven children were killed when a fire, believed to have been caused by a fault with a gas cylinder, tore through 30 tents Thursday, the U.N. refugee agency said.
Two adults and a child are also being treated for injuries, according to the UNHCR.
Much like the existing settlement, the new tents will be made of wood and plastic sheeting atop concrete bases. But Josep Zapater, head of the UNHCR office in the Bekaa Valley, told The Daily Star that additional safety measures would be taken into consideration ahead of construction.
“We are separating every tent by two meters, so if there is a new fire it won’t spread so quickly,” Zapater told The Daily Star from Bekaa Valley settlement.
The 35 tents that housed some 40 families – roughly 160 individuals - are located near the village of Ghazzeh, Zapater said.
Additional land will be needed to account for the space between tents.
The UNHCR is negotiating with the municipality and a local landowner in order to expand the settlement’s footprint.
“The settlement is on public land. The other bit belongs to a local landowner. We’re going to take land near a cow farm,” Zapater explained.
The tents average a footprint of 7 meters by 7.5 meters. With additional space between tents, the settlement will be “six tents bigger” for a total area of to 2,400 square meters, the U.N. official explained.
Locals immediately reached out to families following the fire, Zapater said, and funerals for the children killed in the blaze were held Friday.
“The response from the municipality and the local community has been overwhelmingly positive and compassionate,” Zapater said. “From the beginning, the mayor has been leading the response and comforting the victims.”
Attempts to reach local officials about the blaze were unsuccessful.
In a statement Saturday, UNHCR said that it was “deeply shocked” by Thursday’s fire and extended its “sincere condolences to the families and all those affected by the tragic incident.”
“UNHCR is coordinating closely with the local authorities. Families who lost their homes and possessions in the fire gathered at the local municipal hall, where they received food, water, blankets, winter clothing and other humanitarian assistance,” the statement said. “Counselling is also available for those affected.”
The agency said the “tragic incident is an illustration of the hardships and precarious living conditions facing many refugees in Lebanon. UNHCR extends its thanks and appreciation to the local authorities for responding so quickly to the incident.”
Source: The Daily Star
