Bourj Hammoud Municipality Hotline Launched
On 6 April 2021, MERP supported Bourj Hammoud municipality to officially launch the Bourj Hammoud hotline. The hotline is open to residents of Bourj Hammoud from all nationalities and backgrounds. As a start, the hotline allows residents to reach out to the municipality regarding Covid-19 related issues, damaged housing following Beirut blast and with requests for support for people with disabilities. In turn, the municipality will refer these cases to relevant agencies and follow-up with these agencies to ensure that the necessary support is provided.
The hotline is based on a WhatsApp for Business application and is delivered in three languages — Arabic, Armenian and English — making it both affordable and accessible for residents. It is connected to a cloud database where data is securely collected and organized to allow for structured referrals as well as easy follow-up on cases. In addition, the data allows various analytical reports to be generated for needs mapping and analysis. In the future, hotline services can easily be expanded to cover other services or emergency situations and can be used as a complaint mechanism as well.
Mardig Boughossian, Mayor of Bourj Hammoud municipality, said: “This is a humanitarian response project that should have been developed long time ago, but unfortunately the municipality didn’t have the required resources. Thank you to all contributors who have helped and supported in successfully implementing the hotline.” He added: “The implementation of the hotline is very timely. I encourage Bourj Hammoud residents to use this service and to benefit from the health and social support provided.”
From its launch to the end of April, residents submitted 389 requests related to damaged housing due to the Beirut explosion of which 184 were referred by Bourj Hammoud municipality to the Lebanese Army Forces (LAF) for inspection (upon agreement with LAF, the remaining cases are currently being inspected by Bourj Hammoud Municipal Police). After LAF review, approved cases will be transferred to development partners which support the refurbishment of housing after the blasts. Additionally, 123 requests for support were submitted for people with disabilities. The municipality is reviewing and referring these cases to relevant civil society organizations on an ongoing basis.
Jose Luis Vinuesa Santamaria, Head of Sector Economy and Local Development, the European Union Delegation to Lebanon, said: “This initiative with the Municipality of Bourj Hammoud will ensure access to information and facilitation in the provision of assistance, particularly for those with disabilities.”
To support the launch of the hotline, MERP designed a comprehensive awareness campaign to inform Bourj Hammoud residents about the new hotline and the services it provides. As part of the campaign, in May, a street art workshop will be organized for Bourj Hammoud youth. Eight candidates will be selected to participate in a full-day workshop to learn the basics of graffiti. After, they will apply their new skills in the development of four murals to promote the new hotline.
