Region | Lebanon
Palestinians of Nahr Al Bared struggle in new camp
This already overcrowded Palestinian ref-ugee camp has been swamped by thousands more Palestinians, fleeing their own camp besieged by Lebanese troops - adding a new humanitarian problem if the battle drags on.
- AP
- Published: 00:00 May 25, 2007
Beddawi Refugee Camp, Lebanon: This already overcrowded Palestinian ref-ugee camp has been swamped by thousands more Palestinians, fleeing their own camp besieged by Lebanese troops - adding a new humanitarian problem if the battle drags on.
Families with bags of clothes and whatever other supplies they managed to bring crammed into hallways and classrooms at the Kawkaba Elementary Boy's School in the Beddawi camp - with up to 50 people in each of its two dozen rooms.
Chaos erupted when a small white van brought lunches provided by local volunteers, as desperate refugees lunged forward, pushing and shoving to try and grab food.
"We didn't get any breakfast, my son is hungry," shouted Fathia Abdul Rahim as she argued with a volunteer asking her to stand in line on Thursday.
More than 12,000 Palestinians have flooded into Beddawi, fleeing violence at the nearby Nahr Al Bared camp.
Thousands more remain in Nahr Al Bared - likely to be caught in the crossfire if Lebanese troops launch an assault to seize the camp.
Beddawi - about five kilometres from the other camp - already had 20,000 residents and has been overwhelmed by the influx.
'Double refugees'
The "double refugees" are camped out in Beddawi's six schools, its hospitals, clinics and mosques. Others have moved in with relatives already living in the camp.
Beddawi's residents were doing what they could to help the new arrivals, sending some food and blankets. "Welcome to our guests," read a banner at the entrance to the Kawkaba school.
But Ahmad Chaaban, the school's director, said there were "serious shortages" and called on aid agencies to send more help. He warned insufficient toilets and water could lead to disease. "Many of them are sick, they have heart and blood pressure problems and for that they need daily medication which they don't have," he said.
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