6 January 2017
Recent clashes in the refugee camp of Ein el Helweh in the city of Saida, South Lebanon, have once again affected the provision of healthcare services for Palestinian residents.
Armed confrontations between rival militant factions in the camps began on 21 December, killing six people and injuring several others. During the height of the violence, UNRWA suspended work at schools and two clinics, as well as its refuse collection service. This was the fourth time in a month that UNRWA was forced to temporarily suspend services due to security incidents.
A number of families from the worst-affected areas of the camp were also displaced from their homes to neighbouring areas. UNRWA released a statement on 22 December, calling on those involved in the clashes to “respect the rule of law, the sanctity of human life and to ensure the protection of Palestine refugees, particularly of children.”
On Thursday 5 January, MAP’s team in Lebanon reported that the situation remained tense, with gunshots heard occasionally, but that the major confrontations had subsided.
Violent clashes are a frequent occurrence in Ein el Helweh, and not only directly endanger the lives and psychological wellbeing of residents, but also prevent children from going to school and patients from attending appointments at clinics. The camp is Lebanon’s largest, and suffers severe poverty, overcrowding and deprivation.
Health and education services for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, already stretched by the by UNRWA’s budgetary shortfall, have been also been impacted by the arrival of a large number of Palestinians fleeing the war in Syria.
MAP’s team in Lebanon helps to provide essential services to Palestinian refugees, including midwifery and home-visiting for new mothers, mental health and psychosocial support for child refugees from Syria, and therapy and remedial work for children with disabilities.
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Featured image: An UNRWA clinic in Ein el Helweh camp