During an interview with Al-Jazeera on Monday, Feb. 13th, Dr. Ramy Lakkis, founder of the Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training (LOST) gave his input about child labor among Syrian refugees, specifically in the cultivation of marijuana, which was the topic of the interview. Dr. Lakkis stated that there may be a few cases of child labor that are unacceptable; however, as a local organization, LOST has education centers in several villages, and it is working with UNICEF on the education of Syrian children, to prepare them for school.
Dr. Lakkis added that the figures indicate that agriculture in Lebanon accounts for 20% of the labor force, while the Ministry of Agriculture does not get 1% of the general budget. Because of the Syrian crisis, the agricultural exports declined, due to the fact that exporting to Beqaa was from Syria, in which 85% of exports were declined, hence why farmers have damaged crops. Therefore, “we can understand that in Baalbeck-Hermel region, families and clans do not impose the cultivation of marijuana, nor do they impose Syrian refugee children to work in cultivation”.
Moreover, Dr. Lakkis stated that there are beneficiaries of the cultivation of marijuana, which is why it still exists. However, this phenomenon does not address the way it should be handled from a developmental economic viewpoint, especially if we know that more than 30% of college graduates from Baalbeck-Hermel are unemployed, and the Syrian crisis economically burdened inhabitants of the region. In addition, climate change had an effect as well, which led to a drought in the region. All of this occurs in light of the government policies’ inability to produce a new economic pattern, which is productive and effective, a realistic alternative for people.
According to Dr. Lakkis, providing security for the region’s children are the region’s inhabitants. There are more than 137 thousand displaced Syrians who are hosted by the Baalbeck-Hermel region. In addition, the World Food Programme (WFP) provides food for Syrian refugees. Therefore, Dr. Lakkis asked, “why doesn’t WFP buy the crops that are produced within the community, for the underprivileged people of the region”? This question was raised to WFP, which led to the discharge of domestic production and the availability of better relations between the host community and the beneficiaries.
Dr. Lakkis further stated that LOST works in more than 40 municipalities in the province of Baalbeck-Hermel. LOST works on transferring all reports of child labor or any tensions that might arise between the host communities and the refugees, in an effort to mitigate the tensions.
Dr. Lakkis concluded by stating that “we as a local organization do not interfere in the issue of marijuana directly, because this issue cannot be resolved by a local organization”. Therefore, “we ask that the heads of the government to deal with this region, to hear the voices and opinions of its citizens, and to deal with the issues effectively in a way that affects their lives and improves the quality of the industry”. With the presence of international institutions and organizations of the United Nations, there is a greater opportunity to work on a developmental strategy that can be incorporated into the Baalbeck-Hermel area as an economic region of Lebanon.
