As part of ‘Supporting host communities in Lebanon affected by the high influx of Syrian refugees’, the industry ministry and UNIDO opened yesterday the artisan and handicraft fair, YAD, in Ashrafieh, Beirut, under the patronage of minister Hussein Haj Hassan, represented by director general, Dany Gedoun. On the occasion, the ambassador of Austria, Mayan Wrba, said YAD is a convenient tool to improve the productive capacity of host communities and to generate livelihood support. It also provides beneficiaries from host communities with technical and market-oriented skills. Gedoun for his part, stressed the importance of the project, which he maintained, “does not only lie in the direct assistance, in terms of specialized machinery and technical training, but, it is the first time we decide to include innovation and creativity into specific selected made-in-Lebanon products.” This innovation, he said, displayed a range of goods like, tableware (cutleries and ceramics), home decorations (lightings, cushions, curtains and tablecloths), in addition to traditional and modern soap designs, with the aim to help small producers enter the local and international markets. (Al Mustaqbal, May 11, 2018)