Many Syria women who are able to find work are subjected to regular sexual harassment by employers and fellow male workers and sometimes deny to employers that there is no male in their household who would offer protection if she reported sexual abuse. Some less strong Syrian refugee women simply prostitute themselves for money and aid. It is estimated by a social worker at Shatila camp that women can earn on average $ 36 per day as a sex worker as compared to $8-10 for a 12-14 hour manual labor work day.
A social worker with ABAAD, a Lebanese NGO that challenges men to stop violence against women, reports that many widowed Syrian women encourage their children to perform child labor or marry (sell) their teenage daughters off to collect their muqaddam, (dowry) that the groom is supposed, but often fails, to provide to the bride's parents.
Without legal status under Lebanese law, or without any legal papers due to Kafkaesque nearly impossible visa renewal requirements, many women describe to the few NGO's here who may want to help them, repeated assaults against them that they have not reported to the authorities. They do not report them due to lack of confidence that the police authorities would take action and the Syrian women fear reprisals by the abusers or arrest for not having a valid residency permit.
Meanwhile, while desperate Syrian refugees are being denied visas, this observer, a no-account American who has ample reason to daily hang his head in shame over his country's dozen years wars in this region and the deaths of more than a million people his government has contributed to, and its deeply immoral policy toward Palestine, has no such problem. He is able to show up at the local police station (General Security) near Burj al Barajneh Palestinan camp, (which also houses hundreds of Syrian refugees these days) as he did this week, apply for and receive, because he is American and not a Syrian, another three-year resident visa. And by paying a $65 bribe he can get it the same day, rather than wait weeks or months. There is something very wrong with this picture.
I took the children to my flat and my friend from Addis Ababa, a lovely domestic worker, herself exploited, agreed stay at home and help care for them until we could get them some help, a proper home and the older boy "Khaled" in school. Over the next few hours and the next day I made several calls to get help for the children but other than promises to return calls and 'try to find some organization to help" nothing came of my efforts for nearly one week. Most of the calls were never returned.
The children were well taken care of by my friend and me and they were soon cooking and eating American cuisine including baking fudge brownies, chocolate chip cookies, enjoying my country style home made Macaroni & Cheese, homemade banana pancakes with (fake) Aunt Jemima maple syrup from the local supermarket, and my chicken vegetable soup not to mention some very delicious Ethiopian food which they helped my friend make. They also became expert at playing 'hide & seek" and met some Syrian kids from the neighborhood. The effect of meeting fellow Syrians and hearing their accents brought the darlings sheer joy and they soon were chatting and playing like chipmunks.
This observer often receives emails asking his opinion of events in this region, posing various questions or even asking his 2-cents worth of advice about academic subjects a student somewhere might be engaged in or is contemplating.
To date I have never has he been asked about buying Syrian refugee children in Lebanon.
If and when this observer is asked, and if the facts were similar to those I happened across recently near Ramlet el Baida beach in Beirut, with the priceless four sibling beauties, for whom I am now deeply honored to be their 'American uncle', without doubt or fear of possible legal ramifications for encouraging what some may consider a felony of sorts, I would strongly urge good Samaritans to take the following steps.
To investigate as best they can on the scene and depending on how dire the situation appears to be, to immediately price bargain and 'buy' the children from the trafficker. I would counsel the Samaritan to discretely photograph the seller with their smart phone. In my case having only a $10 used old Nokia 'dumb phone' which does for me all that I need done-its dials and answers calls -I gave the police only a physical description of the woman as I keep an eye out for her along the beach or when I am in Hamra.
All of us must do what we can to get these children from Syria a safe environment, a chance to play and to be children. Dear reader, if you happen to be in this area and come upon by chance a need such as I did, please make these angels feel protected and safe, make them warm, get them clean clothes, feed them, get them a medical examinations, contact authorities or NGO's buy them a doll to love. Knowing you may not get immediately assistance, inquire about schooling,
And most importantly find them a mother dear reader. And hopefully before long they will be in a loving home until the hell next door ends and, as their country's future, they can return home and rebuild it.
Franklin Lamb's recent book, Syria's Endangered Heritage, an International Responsibility to Preserve and Protect is available on Amazon and other ebook outlets as well as at www.syrian-heritage.com .
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