Salamat,
So finally some news about the Naher El-Bared attacks, the situation is extremly urgent for the people in the refugee camp and for those who are becoming refugees once again.. a long list of urgent needs was provided by the Naher El Bared Relief Campaign (See bottom of page). Please help raise donations or send supplies.
So finally some news about the Naher El-Bared attacks, the situation is extremly urgent for the people in the refugee camp and for those who are becoming refugees once again.. a long list of urgent needs was provided by the Naher El Bared Relief Campaign (See bottom of page). Please help raise donations or send supplies.
A quick note that Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are not suffering the islamic militias repression and violence, but also the violence and racism of the Lebanese society. Urgent support and help is needed.
Electronic Lebanon
http://electronicintifada.net/lebanon/
Nahr El Bared blog http://www.nahrelbared.info/
Nahr El Bared Relief Campaign http://nahrelbareddonations.blogspot.com/
By 23/5/2007:
a. 25 Palestinian civilians killed, 250 injured (80% civilians)
b. No possibility to enter the camp. Evacuation of civilians is under process.
c. 200 houses destroyed (either partially or totally)
d. UNRWA clinics are closed, no medical attention available.
e. Around 1157 families displaced on 23/5/2007
The Nahr el Bared Relief Campaign was spontaneously formed following the tragic events in Nahr el Bared Camp. We are a grouping of unaffiliated individuals working on relief and civil action to end the violence and offer aid to those injured and displaced due to the Nahr el Bared conflict.
Nahr el Bared Fact Sheet
Established: 1949 by the ICRC;
Area: 20 km2
Location: 16 km north of Tripoli, Lebanon
Population: 30,439 refugees registered by UNRWA in 2005 - 6,384 families.
Education:
• 14 kindergartens
• 10 schools (Average students per classroom: 44), including 7 UNRWA schools
• 1 technical school
Health:
• 3 large dispensaries
• 10 clinics
• No hospital
• Two community run rehabilitation centers provide facilities for 64 refugees with
disabilities
Economy:
• Unemployment: 50%
• Most inhabitants work in agriculture, as construction workers, or are self-
employed
• 1,598 families of 8,627 persons are registered as special hardship cases
SOURCES: www.unrwa.org, www.fosohat.org, www.assafir.com, www.lebanon-support.org
Background of the Conflict
In the worst internal violence since the end of Lebanon's bloody civil war 17 years ago, fighting between the Lebanese army and the Islamist militant group Fatah Al- Islam has claimed at least 80 lives as of 22 May 2007, including combatants as well as civilians. On 20 May, Lebanese security forces raided a Tripoli building to arrest bank robbery suspects, which was followed by an attack by Fatah Al-Islam militants on Lebanese army installations at the entrance to Nahr Al-Bared camp.
The Nahr Al-Bared refugee camp's 30,000 residents have been under siege and caught in the cross-fire as Lebanese forces pledged to flush out Fatah Al-Islam. The Lebanese army shelled the camp for 4 days, and casualties run high in the densely populated area. The exact number of civilian deaths has not been released, but eyewitness accounts claim that the death toll is considerable and that the army's bombing with increasingly heavy artillery was indiscriminate. Many are calling it a massacre. Emergency and humanitarian workers reported difficulties in reaching affected civilians, and have been fired upon by combatants. As a shaky ceasefire mostly held the night of 22 May, thousands of camp residents fled, telling of the deaths of many
civilians who have not yet been recovered.
Protests have erupted at Palestinian refugee camps across Lebanon, where 400,000 Palestinian refugees make up 10 percent of the country's population -- over half of whom live in impoverished, overcrowded refugee camps. This situation coupled with three car bombs in Beirut and Aley in Mount Lebanon have created a state of panic throughout the country, and the press has reported various violent attacks on Syrians and Palestinians in different areas. It is of utmost importance to alleviate the situation in the north and to keep civilians calm lest the violence spread to other parts of the country.
News of the conflict in the local and international media has downplayed the severity of the situation, underreporting casualties and largely ignoring the civilians caught in the crossfire. The situation has reached a crisis point and threatens to spill over into other parts of the country. Fears of another civil war have become palpable.
In the midst of all this, Lebanese civil society organizations and businesses that responded so urgently during the July war have turned a blind eye to the events taking place in the north. Their presence on the ground and their aid is deplorably absent.
Initial Assessment :
On Thursday May 24, members of the campaign drove to the north carrying supplies to Baddawi camp. The situation there is dire. Estimates range from 12,000 to 18,000 internally displaced Palestinians from Nahr el Bared relocated to Baddawi camp, resulting in a severe shortage of food and medical supplies.
Around 25% of the displaced from Nahr el Bared are now staying in schools, while the other 75% are cramped in people's homes, sometimes 30 people to one house. The overcrowding is unbearable. International NGOs working in direct relief are distributing 80% of the supplies to the minority in the schools, while the other 75% are only receiving 20% of the undersupplied aid.
There are currently three different groupings working on relief in the north:
1. INGOs: Red Cross, Save the Children, Norwegian People's Aid, UNRWA, etc.
2. Palestinian political parties
3. A grouping of 23 local civil society organizations
Coordination between the three groups is sorely lacking, and the distribution of
supplies is haphazard and bureacratic.
The Nahr el Bared Relief campaign members formed a coordinating team with the civil society organizations since their networks were most established and spread on the ground, and distributed the $1,000 worth of food bought mostly in and around the camp to stimulate local economy and $2,000 worth of medical supplies through the Ghassan Kanafani Foundation clinic. While the amount was meager, the demand remained very high and people are still in need of much more aid than is currently being given out.
The campaign is still collecting donations and sending teams up to the Baddawi camp to assist the people there in coordination with the civil society task force set up there. According to a report released by www.lebanon-support.org, the situation is as follows:
1) Nahr El Bared Refugee Camp (North):
a. By 23/5/2007: 25 Palestinian civilians killed, 250 injured (80% civilians)
b. No possibility to enter the camp. Evacuation of civilians is under process.
c. 200 houses destroyed (either partially or totally)
d. UNRWA clinics are closed
e. Around 1157 families displaced on 23/5/2007
2) Baddawi Refugee Camp (North):
a. According to AidLebanon interviews with Baddawi authorities, the number
of displaced could reach 25,000.
b. The referral of wounded civilians was initially to PRCS Safad hospital (Baddawi camp 7 Km from Al Bared Camp), however, currently this hospital is not receiving cases that need surgery but only initial management .They are now functioning only as field hospital (they have deficiencies of intravenous fluids, anesthetics medications, and other needed medical supplies ).
c. UNRWA now is trying to referral acute cases needing surgical/medical intervention to hospitals in Tripoli (not possible because of no contract with UNRWA), Maten, and Akar (not accessible because of security obstacles).
d. Other hospitals started to refuse receiving the surgical cases as it is not paid for, and it is expensive to manage if they are admitted on MOH expenses.
3) Bourj al Barajneh Refugee Camp (Beirut)
a. 100 displaced families
b. A number of them are still homeless, camp not equipped to handle more people
4) Shatila Refugee Camp (Beirut)
a. 250 displaced families
b. A number of them are still homeless, camp not equipped to handle more
people
Needed Items
During the visit to Beddawi camp, a list was put together with the help of volunteers and doctors from the camp, and we need help supplying them. The camp and refugees are in urgent need of these items, so please consider donating some of these items or money to buy them. Updated lists can be found on our website:
http://nahrelbareddonations.blogspot.com
Urgent Necessities:
• Mattresses, pillows, bed covers and Hygiene supplies
• Medication
• Food and water
• Milk
• Diapers
• Sanitary napkins
• Soap, towels, garbage bags
Supplies for the Disabled:
• Water mattresses: 20
• wheel chairs: 30
• Walker: 20
• Crutches: 100
Contact Information :
For tax-deductible donations to the Nahr el Bared Relief Campaign please use
the following account:
AUB Office of Development
https://rtf.aub.edu.lb/
Please make sure to specify that your donation is going to the Nahr el Bared refugees.
Aid supply drop-offs :
If you have any donations you would like to drop off in person, you can do so in
Helem center, Zicco House, Spears St, Zarif (Hamra).
Contact us:
Rasha Moumneh:
r.moumneh@gmail.com
03-356644
Marcy Newman
marcynewman@gmail.com
70-977812
Sara Abou Ghazal
dajijbeirut@gmail.com
70-917001
Electronic Lebanon
http://electronicintifada.net/lebanon/ Nahr El Bared blog
http://www.nahrelbared.info/ Nahr El Bared Relief Campaign
http://nahrelbareddonations.blogspot.com/ By 23/5/2007:
a. 25 Palestinian civilians killed, 250 injured (80% civilians)
b. No possibility to enter the camp. Evacuation of civilians is under process.
c. 200 houses destroyed (either partially or totally)
d. UNRWA clinics are closed, no medical attention available.
e. Around 1157 families displaced on 23/5/2007
The Nahr el Bared Relief Campaign was spontaneously formed following the tragic events in Nahr el Bared Camp. We are a grouping of unaffiliated individuals working on relief and civil action to end the violence and offer aid to those injured and displaced due to the Nahr el Bared conflict.
Nahr el Bared Fact Sheet
Established: 1949 by the ICRC;
Area: 20 km2
Location: 16 km north of Tripoli, Lebanon
Population: 30,439 refugees registered by UNRWA in 2005 - 6,384 families.
Education:
• 14 kindergartens
• 10 schools (Average students per classroom: 44), including 7 UNRWA schools
• 1 technical school
Health:
• 3 large dispensaries
• 10 clinics
• No hospital
• Two community run rehabilitation centers provide facilities for 64 refugees with
disabilities
Economy:
• Unemployment: 50%
• Most inhabitants work in agriculture, as construction workers, or are self-
employed
• 1,598 families of 8,627 persons are registered as special hardship cases
SOURCES: www.unrwa.org, www.fosohat.org, www.assafir.com, www.lebanon-support.org
Background of the Conflict
In the worst internal violence since the end of Lebanon's bloody civil war 17 years ago, fighting between the Lebanese army and the Islamist militant group Fatah Al- Islam has claimed at least 80 lives as of 22 May 2007, including combatants as well as civilians. On 20 May, Lebanese security forces raided a Tripoli building to arrest bank robbery suspects, which was followed by an attack by Fatah Al-Islam militants on Lebanese army installations at the entrance to Nahr Al-Bared camp.
The Nahr Al-Bared refugee camp's 30,000 residents have been under siege and caught in the cross-fire as Lebanese forces pledged to flush out Fatah Al-Islam. The Lebanese army shelled the camp for 4 days, and casualties run high in the densely populated area. The exact number of civilian deaths has not been released, but eyewitness accounts claim that the death toll is considerable and that the army's bombing with increasingly heavy artillery was indiscriminate. Many are calling it a massacre. Emergency and humanitarian workers reported difficulties in reaching affected civilians, and have been fired upon by combatants. As a shaky ceasefire mostly held the night of 22 May, thousands of camp residents fled, telling of the deaths of many
civilians who have not yet been recovered.
Protests have erupted at Palestinian refugee camps across Lebanon, where 400,000 Palestinian refugees make up 10 percent of the country's population -- over half of whom live in impoverished, overcrowded refugee camps. This situation coupled with three car bombs in Beirut and Aley in Mount Lebanon have created a state of panic throughout the country, and the press has reported various violent attacks on Syrians and Palestinians in different areas. It is of utmost importance to alleviate the situation in the north and to keep civilians calm lest the violence spread to other parts of the country.
News of the conflict in the local and international media has downplayed the severity of the situation, underreporting casualties and largely ignoring the civilians caught in the crossfire. The situation has reached a crisis point and threatens to spill over into other parts of the country. Fears of another civil war have become palpable.
In the midst of all this, Lebanese civil society organizations and businesses that responded so urgently during the July war have turned a blind eye to the events taking place in the north. Their presence on the ground and their aid is deplorably absent.
Initial Assessment :
On Thursday May 24, members of the campaign drove to the north carrying supplies to Baddawi camp. The situation there is dire. Estimates range from 12,000 to 18,000 internally displaced Palestinians from Nahr el Bared relocated to Baddawi camp, resulting in a severe shortage of food and medical supplies.
Around 25% of the displaced from Nahr el Bared are now staying in schools, while the other 75% are cramped in people's homes, sometimes 30 people to one house. The overcrowding is unbearable. International NGOs working in direct relief are distributing 80% of the supplies to the minority in the schools, while the other 75% are only receiving 20% of the undersupplied aid.
There are currently three different groupings working on relief in the north:
1. INGOs: Red Cross, Save the Children, Norwegian People's Aid, UNRWA, etc.
2. Palestinian political parties
3. A grouping of 23 local civil society organizations
Coordination between the three groups is sorely lacking, and the distribution of
supplies is haphazard and bureacratic.
The Nahr el Bared Relief campaign members formed a coordinating team with the civil society organizations since their networks were most established and spread on the ground, and distributed the $1,000 worth of food bought mostly in and around the camp to stimulate local economy and $2,000 worth of medical supplies through the Ghassan Kanafani Foundation clinic. While the amount was meager, the demand remained very high and people are still in need of much more aid than is currently being given out.
The campaign is still collecting donations and sending teams up to the Baddawi camp to assist the people there in coordination with the civil society task force set up there. According to a report released by www.lebanon-support.org, the situation is as follows:
1) Nahr El Bared Refugee Camp (North):
a. By 23/5/2007: 25 Palestinian civilians killed, 250 injured (80% civilians)
b. No possibility to enter the camp. Evacuation of civilians is under process.
c. 200 houses destroyed (either partially or totally)
d. UNRWA clinics are closed
e. Around 1157 families displaced on 23/5/2007
2) Baddawi Refugee Camp (North):
a. According to AidLebanon interviews with Baddawi authorities, the number
of displaced could reach 25,000.
b. The referral of wounded civilians was initially to PRCS Safad hospital (Baddawi camp 7 Km from Al Bared Camp), however, currently this hospital is not receiving cases that need surgery but only initial management .They are now functioning only as field hospital (they have deficiencies of intravenous fluids, anesthetics medications, and other needed medical supplies ).
c. UNRWA now is trying to referral acute cases needing surgical/medical intervention to hospitals in Tripoli (not possible because of no contract with UNRWA), Maten, and Akar (not accessible because of security obstacles).
d. Other hospitals started to refuse receiving the surgical cases as it is not paid for, and it is expensive to manage if they are admitted on MOH expenses.
3) Bourj al Barajneh Refugee Camp (Beirut)
a. 100 displaced families
b. A number of them are still homeless, camp not equipped to handle more people
4) Shatila Refugee Camp (Beirut)
a. 250 displaced families
b. A number of them are still homeless, camp not equipped to handle more
people
Needed Items
During the visit to Beddawi camp, a list was put together with the help of volunteers and doctors from the camp, and we need help supplying them. The camp and refugees are in urgent need of these items, so please consider donating some of these items or money to buy them. Updated lists can be found on our website:
http://nahrelbareddonations.blogspot.com Urgent Necessities:
• Mattresses, pillows, bed covers and Hygiene supplies
• Medication
• Food and water
• Milk
• Diapers
• Sanitary napkins
• Soap, towels, garbage bags
Supplies for the Disabled:
• Water mattresses: 20
• wheel chairs: 30
• Walker: 20
• Crutches: 100
Contact Information :
For tax-deductible donations to the Nahr el Bared Relief Campaign please use
the following account:
AUB Office of Development
https://rtf.aub.edu.lb/ Please make sure to specify that your donation is going to the Nahr el Bared refugees.
Aid supply drop-offs :
If you have any donations you would like to drop off in person, you can do so in
Helem center, Zicco House, Spears St, Zarif (Hamra).
Contact us:
Rasha Moumneh:
r.moumneh@gmail.com 03-356644
Marcy Newman
marcynewman@gmail.com 70-977812
Sara Abou Ghazal
dajijbeirut@gmail.com 70-917001
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