The international and local aid agencies in Lebanon have kicked off a plan to encourage the Syrian refugees in the country to take preventive measures in their medical care to reduce the birth rate during their enforced displacement.

These measures comprise enrolling them in educational workshops and providing them with monthly medical aid such as birth control pills and condoms.

Local sources told Xinhua that this plan has been adopted following the increasing difficulties in providing necessary care for the pregnant women and newborns, including the diapers and other necessary stuff.

Aida Al Maliki, a doctor specializes in obstetrics and works for an international aid agency, told Xinhua that she faces many problems in providing necessary aid for the pregnant refugees, such as vitamins, due to their difficulties in regularly visiting the clinics, not to mention being unable to carry out their monthly tests and X-rays.

For her part, May Fakhouri, a psychiatrist in charge of organizing educational workshops for pregnant women, told Xinhua that "bad moral conditions that pregnant refugees are undertaking during their forced displacement and the news about the war in their country, result in many abnormal births, such as lack of immunity, which lead to many complicated medical problems."

"For all the above reasons, the decision has been taken to try to reduce the birth rates among the refugees to avoid more social and medical problems," she said.

Fakhoury introduced that the distribution of birth control tools would limit the birth rate among the refugees to 30 percent.

She added "We also try to reduce the self-conviction of the refugees through the workshops and educational seminars in many refugee centers."

Nayla Al Houaily, a displaced Syrian mother, told Xinhua that the pregnancy pills did reduce the birth rate among the refugees.

"We were surprised to know that among the aid provided to the refugees were the pregnancy pills and condoms," she said, adding " we hesitated at the beginning, and considered this act as shameful and violates our traditions, but our situation forced us to accept the monthly aid which became now necessary for us."

Another displaced Syrian, Abou Ahmad Abdel Halim Al Dairy, said that "many refugees now depend on the pregnancy pills and condoms, and this aid has turned into a priority for the refugees."

According to the latest UN figures, Lebanon currently hosts about 511,000 Syrian refugees, more than 10 percent of its population, which turned to be a heavy economic and social burden on the Lebanese government. Endi

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