Refugee Camps in Lebanon
With the influx of exiles from Palestine in 1948, Palestinian refugees in Lebanon were seen as a threat to the country’s stability and order, and camps became the restricted areas of residence for the refugees. The camps were to be a way of stabilizing their presence in Lebanon through special regulations and controls. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) set out the camps. Of the original 16 UNRWA administered official camps in Lebanon, three were destroyed during the years of conflict and were never rebuilt or replaced. These include Nabatieh camp in south Lebanon, and Dikwaneh and Jisr el-Basha camps in the Beirut area. Most of the displaced refugees in Lebanon, including approximately 6,000 families, are originally from these three camps. A fourth camp, Gouraud in Baalbeck, was evacuated many years ago and its inhabitants were transferred to Rashidieh camp in the Tyre area. All 12 official refugee camps in Lebanon suffer from serious problems. The camps do not have proper infrastructure, they are overcrowded, and many Palestinian refugees living in the camps suffer unemployment and extreme poverty. Moreover, employment restrictions for Palestinians living in Lebanon mean that most refugees cannot afford to live outside of the camps. UNRWA registered refugee camps in Lebanon remain home to over half of the Palestinian refugee population there. Furthermore, over forty thousand refugees live in camps not recognized by UNRWA, while some 35,000 Palestinians remain housed in makeshift shelters, a result of their displacement during the Lebanon civil war.
Bourj el-Barajneh
Bourj el-Barajneh is situated near Beirut International Airport, in the southern suburbs of Beirut. The League of Red Cross Societies established the camp in 1948 to accommodate an influx of Palestinian refugees from the Galilee in north Palestine. Approximatley 15,484 UNRWA registered Palestinian refugees live in Bourj el-Barajneh. The camp conditions are incredibly cramped, with Bourj el-Barajneh covering an area of approximately one-square kilometre. The camp suffered extensive property damage and displacement of nearly a quarter of its population during the years of conflict in Lebanon. 500 families in Bourj el-Barajneh (1,630 persons) are registered with UNRWA as special hardship cases. There is one UNRWA health centre in the camp that sees on average 168 patients per day, and seven UNRWA elementary/preparatory schools in the camp served over 2,511 enrolled pupils in 2003/2004. Many of the men living in Bourj el-Barajneh work as casual labourers or manual workers, and many women work in sewing factories and as cleaners.
CEPAL has been working in Bourj el-Barajneh since 1997. Currently, CEPAL works with six organisations in Bourj el-Barajneh: Women’s humanitarian Organisation, Beit Atfal Al-Soumoud, Association Najdeh, Women’s Centre, the National Association for Vocational Training and Social Services and UNRWA.
A number of other NGOs are active in Bourj el-Barajneh including the Palestinian Martyrs’ Association, Ghassan Kanafani Cultural Foundation, Al-Ina’sh, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and the Brotherhood Institution for Social Education.
Shatila
Shatila camp is situated in southern Beirut and was established by the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1949 to accommodate the hundreds of refugees who poured into the area from the Galilee in northern Palestine after 1948. Approximately 8,212 UNRWA-registered Palestinian refugees live in Shatila. 293 families in Shatila (1,068 persons) are registered with UNRWA as special hardship cases. There is one UNRWA health centre in Shatila that sees an average of 79 patients per day, and two UNRWA elementary schools for 1,056 enrolled pupils in 2003/2004. The camp was devastated during the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and was the scene of a major massacre in September of that year, which resulted in the destruction of property, displacement of refugees, and a siege.
Environmental health conditions are extremely bad in Shatila, a result, in part, of damp, overcrowded shelters and open drains. The sewage system in the camp needs considerable expansion, while the camp residents drink unreliable potable water supplied though a poor distribution network provided by Beirut Municipality.
CEPAL has been working in Shatila since 1997. Currently, CEPAL works with three organisations in Shatila: Association Najdeh, Beit Atfal Assumoud and UNRWA. A number of additional NGOs are active in the camp including Norwegian People’s Aid and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. The services they provide include clinical services, cash assistance, summer activities, kindergartens, and rehabilitation centres.
Wavel
Wavel camp, also referred to as ‘Jaleel’ (Galillee in arabic) is situated 90 km east of Beirut in the Beqaa Valley, near the city of Baalbeck. Originally a French army barracks, the camp is accommodated in a walled area of 42,300 square meters. Although the camp suffered less structural damage than other camps during the years of civil conflict, living conditions in Wavel are particularly severe. Housing conditions in the camp are unhealthy as most shelters lack daylight and ventilation. Approximately 7,551 registered Palestine refugees live in Wavel. Of this, 200 families, a total of 908 persons, are registered as special hardship cases. One UNRWA health centre is located in Wavel with an average of 65 patients per day, and one UNRWA elementary school and one secondary school accommodated 833 enrolled pupils in 2003/04. In addition, there is one community managed women’s programme centre in Wavel that runs skill-training courses, organizes awareness raising sessions on health, social, legal,human rights and gender issues and coordinates with local NGOs to respond to community needs. Income generation loans and group guaranteed lending are also provided to women.
CEPAL has been working in Wavel since 2000. Currently CEPAL works with four organisations in Wavel: Beit Atfal Al-Soumoud, Association Najdeh, the National Association for Vocational Training and Social Services and UNRWA. There are a number of additional NGOs active in Wavel including Al-Najda Al-Ijtimayia, Ina’ash and Bilal Bin Rabah Centre. The services they provide include cash assistance to orphans, kindergartens and a training centre.
