AGBU & Nations Union, working on the Nansen Office project to build homes in Ashrafieh region to settle some Armenian refugees

During March 1928, AGBU & the League of Nations worked on the Nansen Resettlement Program, which aimed to build homes in the Ashrafieh region to settle some Armenian refugees." In March 1928, the AGBU's Beirut and Aleppo chapters threw themselves into implementing the program directed by the Nansen Office, as they closely cooperated with its local representatives. Dr. Baghdasar Melkonian, who represented the AGBU in Lebanon, was delegated by the Armenian organization to represent it with the local leadership of the Nansen Office; Melkonian was also a member of the Nansen Office's Beirut subcommittee. In early 1927, the Nansen Resettlement Program's significant achievement was undoubtedly the purchase of two lots of 156,000 and 97,000 square feet as both were located on Beirut's Ashrafiye hill. On this land, back in that time, houses were to be erected for several thousand Armenians from the Beirut refugee camp; preference was to be given to artisans. According to Varjabedian, a few dozen Armenian families suffering from malaria had to leave the big camp in early 1927, and they had already gone to live at Karm Zeytun, an uninhabited area lying on the northern slope of Ashrafiye. By December 1929, more than twenty-five buildings had already gone up, and some two hundred families had moved into them. The construction of these new urban centers continued from 1927 to 1930, as it made it possible for Armenian refugee families to acquire homes in several new neighborhoods, known as "The White Homes," "Lot 603," "The Slops" (Kirmiz Kazik or Haygashen, later called Hayashen) and Karm Zeytun or (Sepet Durmaz). The 25,000 Eng. gold donated by the Lebanese government was spent exclusively on this urban construction project." (The AGBU One Hundred Years of HistoryVol. (I)1906-1940 p.233) "In 1927, the AGBU and The League of Nations […] worked on Dr. Nansen's Resettlement Program... This program aimed at constructing apartments for Armenian immigrants, which was supposed to be completed by the end of October 1928, as it continued on the ground meters. These buildings were supposed to house 208 families from Beirut. The total cost of the buildings was supposed to reach 25,000 English gold, which the Lebanese government would donate... The emigrants were committed to repaying the money they have borrowed in this way within ten years as of 1927" (Mar-Apr 1928 Miout No122 p24) *1928