ReliefWeb

Highlights

• Disability Services Expanded in Lattakia
• UNHCR Shelter Intervention in Bayn Al Hayteen, Homs
• Legal Assistance in Aleppo
• UNHCR Small Business Grants:
• UNHCR Concludes 2016/2017 Winterization Programme
• UNHCR Continues to Assist Refugees in Syria

Disability Services Expanded with the Assistance of UNHCR in Lattakia

In February disability services for the blind and the deaf were expanded in Lattakia. As part of the UNHCR Community Based Organization (CBO) programmme, in partnership with GOPA, an opening ceremony was held at Blind Care Association there. Funding was provided to enhance services including Vocational Training (VT) for blind people and training on use of computers. The CBO included rehabilitation works, provision of laptops with talking programs, provision of furniture and raw materials for VT on bamboo making. During the ceremony, UNHCR staff had the opportunity to observe ongoing courses in bamboo making and the use of laptops. The trainers are all blind people who wish to empower other blind people. All the beneficiaries expressed their pleasure at the courses as they opened new horizons for them.

After the opening ceremony the Blind Care Association participated in a local NGO forum where they showed the work of their trainees there to help promote their products which proved to be very popular. Another opening ceremony was held in the Al Amal NGO centre in Lattakia to launch new services for persons with hearing difficulties, including the early identification of hearing impediments in newborns. UNHCR provided funding through implementing partner GOPA to Al Amal which was used to buy new equipment and the habilitation of a soundproof room. This free service now spares people the trouble and cost of going to Damascus for such assistance.