Refugee work halted by violence

May 28, 2007

Ongoing violence between Islamist militants and the Lebanese army has caused trouble for World Vision's work with Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

The violent clashes between Lebanese security forces and Fatah-al-Islam militants based in the Nahr el-Bared Palestinian refugee camp have forced the temporary closure of World Vision's programmes in the camp.

During sporadic and unpredictable ceasefires, more than 18,000 Palestinian refugees, most of whom are not sympathetic to the Fatah al-Islam cause, have fled their homes in Nahr el-Bared to the al-Badawi refugee camp, about ten kilometres away.

"This number is expected to rise substantially as there are an estimated 15,000 refugees still trapped inside Nahr al-Bared," says Bruce Menser, head of World Vision's programmes in Lebanon.

"There are real fears this violence will soon spread," he says.

World Vision Lebanon's regular programmes in Nahr el-Bared have stopped completely, and the livelihoods of several thousand families have been seriously threatened. Many homes have been destroyed, as have the water and electrical systems for the area.

"Inside the al-Badawi camp, conditions are horrendous, and thousands of people – mostly women and children – are in need of the basics: food, water, clothing, bedding and medicine," says Menser.

World Vision is responding as quickly as possible to help the now further displaced refugees. An engineering team is in al-Badawi today making preparations for restoring water to several toilets and showers in schools where refugees are being housed.

Distributions of more than 1,000 hygiene kits for families with small children are planned, as are further efforts to protect and aid in the recovery of affected children.

Menser is stressing the need for a quick response to this crisis. The situation, he says, is in real danger of getting worse before it gets better.