BEIRUT: The water supply to the
country’s biggest prison has increased by almost 50 percent after a project
implemented by the International Committee of the Red Cross was handed over to
authorities Monday.
Roumieh prison was originally built
for 1,500 detainees but now holds around 3,000. The water project, which has
been implemented gradually over the last two years, links the prison’s water
system to a new well.
Monday’s handover took place at the
Internal Security Forces headquarters, and the protocol was signed by both the
director general of General Security, Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi and the head of the
ICRC delegation in Lebanon, Jurg Montani.
Montani said that “it is a practical
example of how the cooperation between detention authorities and the ICRC can
directly lead to an improvement in the conditions of detention.”
Roumieh prison, north-east of
Beirut, has been the scene of several riots over recent years. In April 2011,
prisoners and detainees’ relatives protested at the levels of overcrowding and
conditions within the prison. Four inmates died in the riots, with several more
injured.
The ICRC has already completed a
comprehensive survey about health care in Lebanese prisons, and has since been
working with authorities to improve detainees’ access to health care and the
general quality of care available.
It has also provided medical supplies and
equipment, carrying out first-aid training for staff in Roumieh’s medical
center.http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2012/Aug-07/183682-roumieh-water-supply-up-50-percent.ashx#axzz22qi5LSNX
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