Region in focus: the Middle East Ninette Kelley (UN Refugee Agency) said that the Syrian refugee crisis in the region has reached emergency levels. According to her: • Approximately 500,000 registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon as of 27 June 2013 (see illustration); forecast to rise to 1 million by the end of 20133 • Around 25% of refugees are women and over 52% are children, the majority of which are deeply traumatised • Massive strain placed on public health systems in Lebanon and Jordan • In Lebanon, over 150,000 refugees have been identified as having psychosocial needs, many addressed through community centres, agencies providing counselling (including Restart Center) and other services and community outreach volunteers • Challenges – to increase technical capacity, e.g. specialised services for children, and service delivery; strengthen coordination mechanisms. Dr Manal Tahtamouni (Institute for Family Health/ Noor Al Hussein Foundation, Jordan) spoke about the work of the Institute with Iraqi and Syrian refugees: • Jordan has received around 32,000 Iraqi refugees and will have an estimated 1.3 million Syrian refugees by the end of 2013 • There is no state recognition of psychosocialservices for torture cases, and it is not considered a state priority, including for other groups like refugees • The centre works in cooperation with UNHCR in refugee camps, screening refugees, providing basic and specialised counselling services to vulnerable groups especially on child protection, gender-based violence and war-related trauma, in addition to training of local partners in community-based organisations and volunteers to provide primary psychosocial assistance • Training on torture is absent from medical and psychological curriculum, and there is a lack of knowledge or understanding of rehabilitation and documentation • Access to rehabilitation is sensitive and taboo. 3. At the time of publication, the estimated number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon is 780,000 (including those awaiting registration). Source: UNHCR, Inter-Agency Regional Response for Syrian Refugees, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, 3-9 October 2013. Available at: http://reliefweb.int. 18 International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims There is a need to change the mentality of the victims themselves, victims’ families and care providers. Dr Alissar Rady (World Health Organization) spoke about the organisation’s programmes addressing torture perpetrated against persons with psychosocial disabilities, including the Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP), the regional strategy for mental health, the global action plan for mental health (May 2013). Lebanon close-up The session benefitted from three panellists from the Lebanese government, who offered an overview of the state’s role in rehabilitation and torture prevention. Dr Chauki al Haj (Ministry of Public Health) recognised that although Lebanon ratified the UNCAT and OPCAT, there is clearly a need to implement Article 14 of the UNCAT fully. In reality, the main challenge for his ministry is the financial aspect. As Judge Raja Abinader (Directorate of Prisons) explained, the focus of the Ministry of Justice is on the prevention of torture, particularly through strengthening the role of the National Preventative Mechanism. He also reflected on the need to clearly define torture in the Penal Code so that it is made a criminal offence. He noted the need to provide prisoners with medical records. The Ministry of Justice is working with the Ministry of Social Affairs to provide every prisoner with a social file to screen their social needs. Lieutenant Ziad Kaed Bey (Ministry of Interior) spoke on behalf of the Internal Security Forces explaining that a Human Rights Department was established in 2008. In 2010 a Committee against Torture was also established to create a complaints mechanism. Training and education on human rights is offered as a part of the induction process in the police and security forces. Cooperation with civil society organisations, including Restart, has improved, but there is still a need to gain public confidence. Wadih Al-Asmar (Centre Nassim, Lebanon) said that in practice there is very little implementation of either the UNCAT or OPCAT in Lebanon, and the state’s primary report on implementation of UNCAT is still pending. However, in the last two to three years, some progress has been made in that the state has admitted that torture is taking place, although in reality there is an absence of protection. As a result, civil society is substituting the work that the state should carry out. However, this is not a viable longterm solution; the state needs to acknowledge viola-