Desperation drives people to do things they would never have imagined.
Two of my male Lebanese friends who were at a suhour in downtown Beirut said they were approached by two women who took them to be Syrian. They first asked them for a smoke and then made some inappropriate comments that left the two men confused over whether they were "ladies of the night" or simply over-friendly and forward.
Apparently, they had the stereotypical appearance of a night walker by wearing heavy makeup, revealing clothes and exhibiting certain subtle body language that I was told "only men" would pick up on.
The two insisted the two women who approached them were prostitutes, and they were young - in their early twenties - despite looking older because of their clothes and makeup.
I didn't believe them, as everyone gets hit on in downtown Beirut, and I thought, or rather hoped, that all these women wanted was a free dinner paid for by these two men.
We have been hearing rumours and media reports of some of the Syrian refugees becoming victims of human trafficking, women and children alike, and even of some men exploiting their own wives and sisters and giving them away in marriage to elderly rich men or turning them into prostitutes.
A detailed report published last week in Lebanon's The Daily Star highlighted how prostitution of the Syrian refugee women, or "survival sex" as one of the aid workers described it, has become an organised crime with some Lebanese involved in rounding the women up and dropping them off at different areas throughout and around Beirut.
Statistics compiled since 2009 by Lebanon's Internal Security Forces' Morals Protection Department shows that Syrians are the most frequent victims of human trafficking in Lebanon. Out of a total of 86 victims documented by the ISF, 56 were Syrian. The number of victims has been steadily increasing, with fears that with no end in sight to the war in Syria, the amount of human exploitation of desperate Syrians is bound to increase.
UN officials said this week that the Syrian crisis is deadlier than the Rwandan genocide, a crisis that the world largely ignored in 1994.
With over 6.8 million Syrians needing help, and with on average another 4,200 new refugees crossing into Lebanon each day, stories of tragic human suffering are already the norm.
It is also no surprise that tensions are rising between the host country and its unexpected visitors. Lebanon was already overwhelmed without 100,000 more refugees coming in and needing help. Many Lebanese in areas where there are Syrian refugees complain about the strains on limited resources and concerns about the rise of prostitution.
But again, we have to be careful. I have reported several stories myself where after a crime has been committed in a small community, it was usually the "stranger" - who is not from the country or had recently moved into the neighbourhood - who would get blamed without any evidence. The usual first suspect is always the unwanted visitor.
Earlier last month, a friend told me that in some of the areas of the northern port of Tripoli, there are now cafes known as places to find Syrian prostitutes.
There are reports about Syrian prostitutes in Jordan and in Turkey as well, giving rise to yet another ugly stigma associated with a whole group of people.
One of the difficulties in reporting this issue is that the differences between a human trafficking victim and a prostitute are often blurred, with issues of consent and forced labour at the heart of this matter.
Every war zone gives rise to this tragic side business that many end up exploiting many.
Whatever the case, one has to be careful not to stereotype an entire group of people and not to just hate and resent them collectively.
No one willingly chooses to become a refugee, and no one wants to be homeless and desperate enough to turn to prostitution to make ends meet.
ghazal@thenational.ae
On Twitter:@Arabianmau
UAE Falcons
Carly Lewis (captain), Emily Fensome, Kelly Loy, Isabel Affley, Jessica Cronin, Jemma Eley, Jenna Guy, Kate Lewis, Megan Polley, Charlie Preston, Becki Quigley and Sophie Siffre. Deb Jones and Lucia Sdao – coach and assistant coach.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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Real Madrid 1
Ronaldo (87')
Athletic Bilbao 1
Williams (14')
Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
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Results
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: Celtic Prince, David Liska (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer).
7.05pm: Conditions Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Commanding, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
7.40pm: Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Grand Argentier, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 2,200m
Winner: Arch Gold, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed Dh265,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Military Law, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
9.25pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Ibn Malik, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.
10pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
HEADLINE HERE
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books