BEIRUT: The reconstruction of
the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian camp is behind schedule and tensions in the
camp are growing, warns a report by the International Crisis Group
published Thursday.
The current situation is failing
to restore a normal life to the camp on various fronts. “Most importantly,
lacking an effective representative, Palestinians in Nahr al-Bared feel
more disenfranchised than before,” the report says.
The report notes a marked
tension between camp residents and the authorities because of the tight
security measures by the Internal Security Forces and Lebanese Army.
“Refugees tend to see the authorities
in the least appealing light: not protecting them, but rather protecting
the country from them. They fear enforcement of discriminatory laws,” reads
the report.
The camp, which is near Tripoli,
was almost completely destroyed four years ago by fighting between Fatah
al-Islam and the Lebanese Army. The five-month campaign to purge the camp
of the Islamist group, which was using the area as a military headquarters,
left around 400 people dead and nearly 1,000 wounded.
Many buildings in the camp were severely
damaged during the fighting and most of the 30,000 residents were forced to
flee their homes.
Current residents complain of a
lack of medical care, difficulty of accessing the camp and poor temporary
housing.
UNRWA has raised $145 million
for the reconstruction of the camp, less than half of the $350 million
needed to rebuild it.
The International Crisis Group
report urges the government to lead renewed fundraising efforts, ease the
security measures currently in place, and end the tug-of-war between UNRWA
and the Army over reconstruction and security priorities.
The Palestinians are also
suffering from problems related to internal camp authority.
“One of the chief consequences
of the 2007 crisis and its aftermath has been a significant erosion of Palestinian
political influence and clout in the camp,” the report writes.
Struggles over power in the camp
are rife because the armed Palestinian factions that previously kept the
peace were dislodged by the fighting in 2007.
The report says the mishandling
of the reconstruction effort sets a dangerous precedent for other refugee
camps.
The “Nahr al-Bared precedent
might well increase the factions’ determination to hold on to their
weapons,” the report says.
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