Aid to Displaced Refugees

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Handicap International Provides Aid to Displaced Refugees in Lebanon

The Nahr El Bared refugee camp in Lebanon has been home to Palestinian refugees ever since 1949, when it was setup by the Red Cross to house displaced Palestinians from the northern region of the country. Although the camp has often been overcrowded and infrastructure poor, the camp has provided a crucial base for over 31,000 Palestinians, many of whom arrived in the aftermath of the 2006 Israel-Palestine conflict.

However, after fighting broke out between the Lebanese army and Fatah-Al-Islam militants in April this year, most refugees were forced to flee. Now the camp lies in ruins, completely destroyed by three weeks of heavy fighting. “In the oldest part of the camp - where most of the refugees lived – everything is destroyed,” explains Francois Zamparini, Handicap International’s coordinator in Lebanon. “And what remains will have to be knocked down. Even the new part of the camp has been seriously damaged and conditions for returning refugees remain highly precarious.”

Although some of the displaced refugees have found refuge in other camps, many are still stranded in the nearby town of Beddawi. In partnership with other NGOs, Handicap International has deployed a team in Beddawi to distribute aid to all those in need of medical care and has help setup a centre for people with disabilities near Nahr El-Bared.

Several months on, the fate of the refugees hangs in the balance. Much of the camp still remains under the control of the Lebanese army, who continue to deny access to the area. The more modern side of the camp has slowly started to re-open, however, and 340 families have been given permission to return. Nevertheless, sanitary conditions remain problematic and water and electricity supplies are limited.