BEIRUT (Reuters) – A United Nations agency on Friday suspended its services in Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp to protest the presence of armed fighters in and around schools and other facilities.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which “does not tolerate actions that violate the sanctity and neutrality of its facilities,” announced the suspension of its services for 24 hours in Ain al-Hilweh.
Violent clashes in the camp at the end of July between gunmen from the Fatah movement and extremists from the rival groups left 11 dead and more than 40 wounded, and forced thousands to flee.
According to UNRWA, it is unlikely that schools in the camp will be able to accommodate 3,200 children at the start of the new academic year, due to repeated violations and severe damage to facilities.
The UN agency called on “armed groups to leave their facilities immediately so that they can provide the Palestinian refugees with much-needed aid.”
asked before Arab NewsUNRWA spokeswoman Huda Samra said the agency is monitoring developments in the camp, hoping to get a clearer picture.
Agency decision [qui consiste à suspendre les services] It could lead to a collapse of health care, education, water management, electricity, sanitation and municipal services in the camp, said Hisham al-Dabsi, a Palestinian political researcher who was also interviewed. Arab News.
Ain al-Hilweh is home to about 63,000 Palestinians as well as people of other nationalities, including Lebanese, Syrians and Egyptians, who are looking for affordable housing.
Al-Dabsi said that between 33,000 and 36,000 registered Palestinian refugees will be taken care of by UNRWA, with Palestinians making up 60 percent of the camp’s population.
The UNRWA school complex in the camp is located in an area controlled by extremist groups that have turned the site into a stronghold during the recent clashes.
Ghassan Ayoub, a senior member of the Palestinian People’s Party in Lebanon, said UNRWA had sent “a strong message to the Palestinian factions in the camp, who have turned the facilities into a battle front.”
He added, “Armed men from both sides are still occupying their positions in the camp, and the ceasefire agreement alone prevents them from continuing the clashes.”
Ayoub said that the report of the committee investigating the clashes is expected in the coming days and will “address the situation.”
“Our top priority is to enforce the ceasefire,” he said.
Dorothy Claus, Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon, said the agency had received disturbing reports of armed groups continuing to occupy its facilities, including the school compound, which was badly damaged by the recent fighting.
Klaus described the situation as “a flagrant violation of the sanctity of United Nations premises under international law, threatens the neutrality of UNRWA facilities and threatens the safety of staff and the safety of Palestinian refugees.”
The clashes destroyed 400 homes and “military activities forced hundreds of families to flee”.
Security in the camp is provided by the Lebanese army and Palestinian factions.
According to Ayoub, extremist groups, including Asbat al-Ansar and the Islamic Jihad Movement, have announced their willingness to hand over any criminal involved in a murder in the camp to the Lebanese authorities.
He commented, “It is now essential that this declaration be implemented effectively.”
He added, “This will allow the camp to move towards absolute calm, restore life to normal, eliminate the armed presence, and lift the security barriers that currently impede UNRWA operations.”
This text is a translation of an article published on Arabnews.com
