The Government of Catalonia has authorised a direct grant of 400,000 euros to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to finance the project "Prevention and response to sexual and gender-based violence among Syrian refugees in Lebanon".

The project targets some 3,800 women and children, mostly Syrian refugees, who are victims of sexual and gender-based violence and who are at risk. It has a planned duration of 12 months and includes psychosocial therapy sessions in social centres, community centres, safe spaces and mobile activities.

Awareness-raising and prevention activities against sexual and gender-based violence are also planned, with the participation of more than 8,500 people. Lastly, the project will cover capacity building for UNHCR's partner organisations and governmental counterparts in the prevention and response to sexual and gender-based violence.

Catalan cooperation in Lebanon

The UNHCR is currently one of the strategic partners of the Government of Catalonia in Lebanon, a country experiencing a profound crisis that affects all areas of life, from the economic and financial to the social, health and food sectors. This context has directly affected the particular situation of Syrian refugee women and girls in the country.

For this reason, the line of work for the prevention of gender-based violence, initiated with a previous action in 2022, is considered a priority for the Government's cooperation policy in the region.