At the beginning of December, it was held the inauguration of the Central Pharmacy in the Roumieh prison, built with funds from the Italian Cooperation and entirely supplied with medicines for the prisoners and the ISF staff who work in the prisons.
Prison conditions in Lebanon have drastically worsened due to the country’s economic crisis, overcrowding has become the norm, healthcare is below average and the provision of essential services is poor, in a context in which almost 65 % of the prison population is in pre-trial detention, according to the local Ministry of the Interior.
The 900,000 euro project, started in 2022 and completed in November 2023, thanks to the joint efforts of the Ministry of the Interior and Municipalities, the Internal Security Forces – ISF, the NGOs ARCS, Ajem and Mouvement Social and the companies involved, has allowed to carry out various activities for the benefit of over 4000 convicted in Lebanese prisons, as underlined by the presentation of AICS Beirut human rights expert, Rita Petrilli.
The Italian Ambassador to Beirut, Nicoletta Bombardiere, during her speech underlined “the importance of supporting the human rights of the most vulnerable, that is a key element of Italian cooperation as a contribution to their well-being and reintegration, especially during an economic and social crisis“.
Alessandra Piermattei, head of office of AICS Beirut, underlined that “the project was formulated in close coordination with the ISF staff and we are very happy with this fruitful collaboration“. Particular attention was given to mitigate the lack of electricity and the shortage of medical supplies which are considered essential needs, as well as legal assistance which constitutes a basic right of the prisoner.
