Entrevista Renée INTERSOS - LEBANON

Resumen

Well, first of all, hello and thanks for your interest! On the actual security dimension in Lebanon, I am probably going to indirectly compare the situation with other countries were I used to work before, such as Somalia, Sud Sudan, Kurdistan and previously also Iraq. Due to these background, my view of security might be a bit different from other people, in particular to whom never experienced living in conflicts or post-conflicts scenarios. When I arrived here, my colleagues in Beirut told me that it is quite a safe city and, after few weeks, I must say that this is actually what I found out. The first time I
arrived, the fact that I could walk alone after dark due to the low-degree of criminality in Beirut was a really nice surprise to me. Indeed, I was used to have curfew and being very much confined is a kind of safe-zone, particularly after dark. Lebanon in general is quite safe. Then, it could be that particular
events may raise the attention of security issues and make us keep the eyes open more than usually. To give you an example, there are elections coming up on the next Sunday, so the offices officially close on the following Monday just in case anything happens or there are repercussions, I guess. In these particular occasions, we get updated by our governments offices if there is any remarkable issue. Then also, Hezbollah occupies an area just behind our offices, so there could be some celebrations, gunfire or things like this in case of electoral gains. So, the potential for escalation is there but, generally speaking, it is quite a safe country, Beirut in particular. I feel much safer in Beirut than what I would be in any major US city in this moment, because I am from the US and, as you know, there are a lot of peoples with guns around the US. In Lebanon people do have guns but they generally keep it at home, unless these are absolutely needed. This is my view on Lebanon. Overall, it is a quite safe and livable place.