LEBANON: Children suffer in El Bared camp crisis

[BEIRUT, 25 May 2007] – Tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians continue to flee Nahr El Bared camp in northern Lebanon, and the toll of conflict and displacement weighs most heavily on children, says UNICEF.

UNICEF has joined the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and its NGO partners in advocating for the safety of children and their families still in Nahr El Bared. As of May 25, an estimated 10,000 civilians remain in the embattled camp with only sporadic humanitarian support during very brief ceasefire periods. The safety of children and families still living in the camp and their access to humanitarian aid must become the first priority for all parties.

Experts in emergency response, water and sanitation, and child protection from UNICEF joined an assessment mission this week in Tripoli, including the Baddawi camp, which is currently housing approximately 10,000 – 15,000 refugees.

Five schools inside Baddawi camp have stopped classes and turned into displacement centres for more than 5,000 refugees, where families are sleeping on mattresses in extremely crowded conditions. Hundreds more families are staying with friends and relatives who were already living in crowded apartments in Baddawi camp. Others are living in guesthouses and centres within the camp, and more than 1,000 refugees have left northern Lebanon to other Palestinian refugee camps in other parts of the country.

Children living in Nahr El Bared have been through unspeakable trauma. Already living in a refugee situation, they have witnessed their homes being destroyed, loved ones being killed or injured, and were trapped in their homes hearing the terrifying sounds of gunfire around them.

In addition to ensuring that children’s physical needs are met, aid agencies have been trying to facilitate emotional recovery, make living conditions as child-friendly as possible, and ensure that children return to school. In addition to restoring a sense of normalcy that is so vital to emotional recovery, the return to classrooms is particularly critical for older youth scheduled to take qualifying exams that will secure their future higher education.

Further information

• Defence for Children International - Palestine Section: Israel - Violations of the Right to Life (May 2007)
• Human Rights Council discusses report of Commission of inquiry of Lebanon: Children represent one third of the victims of the conflict (1 December 2006)
• The impact of the Lebanon war lives on in poverty, traumatised children (13 September 2006)