Joint statement by the Lebanese Palestinian Dialogue Committee’s Dr. Hassan Mneimneh and UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl on Nahr el-Bared reconstruction
Today the Lebanese Prime Minister, the United Nations and representatives of the international community met to remind the world of the ongoing plight of the Palestine refugees displaced from Nahr el Bared Camp (NBC), ten years after its destruction.
Almost half the reconstruction has been completed to date with generous support from a wide range of donations. At present, with existing levels of funding, approximately 2,670 families (11,062 people) or 54% of the population will have returned to their homes by mid-2017. But much more needs to be done to live up to the original commitments of the international community.
2,264 Palestine refugee families are still waiting for their homes to be rebuilt. This is just under half the population that fled NBC. Many of those waiting continue to live in miserable conditions and face an uncertain future as a result of a lack of funding for completion of the reconstruction of NBC.
The meeting discussed the way forward for NBC and together pledged an additional US$ 36.1 million. As a result of the generous contributions of Germany (EUR 15 million), the European Union (EUR 12 million), and Italy (EUR 1.25 million), an additional 904 families will be able to return to their homes and 189 new retail units will be rebuilt at NBC.
With today's contributions, 72% of those originally displaced will now be able to return to the camp. UNRWA, the Lebanese government and donors aim to ensure the full reconstruction of Nahr el-Bared.
Rebuilding the camp contributes to the safety and stability of Lebanon and enables the community of NBC to rebuild their economic and social life.
Such is the concern about NBC, that its reconstruction was highlighted as one of the top three infrastructure priorities of the Government of Lebanon at the London Syria Conference earlier this year. The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon visited NBC on 25 March 2016 and called for the international community’s continued support to prioritise the completion of the reconstruction project. This priority was recently reiterated in New York by the Prime Minister of Lebanon.
Today we saw and heard human stories which convey a powerful message that the reconstruction of the camp is not only rebuilding houses and infrastructure, it is also the rebuilding of a community that was shattered by the events that took place at NBC ten years ago. A community that is still struggling to get back on its feet. Their stories of forced displacement echo the plight of Palestine refugees across the region.
We are convinced that today's new contributions create a momentum that we must seize to finalize the reconstruction of NBC. Should we fail to do so, we risk alienating the remaining displaced refugees, abandoning them to despair and anger. We urge the international community to make a final commitment to cover the USD 105.9 million still needed to complete the remaining part of the reconstruction.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
UNRWA is confronted with an increased demand for services resulting from a growth in the number of registered Palestine refugees, the extent of their vulnerability and their deepening poverty. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions and financial support has been outpaced by the growth in needs. As a result, the UNRWA Programme Budget, which supports the delivery of core essential services, operates with a large shortfall. UNRWA encourages all Member States to work collectively to exert all possible efforts to fully fund the Agency’s Programme Budget. UNRWA emergency programmes and key projects, also operating with large shortfalls, are funded through separate funding portals.
UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and mandated to provide assistance and protection to some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip achieve their full human development potential, pending a just and lasting solution to their plight. UNRWA services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, protection and microfinance.
For more information, please contact:
Christopher Gunness
Spokesperson, Director of Advocacy & Strategic Communications
Mobile:
+972 (0)54 240 2659
Office:
+972 (0)2 589 0267
c.gunness@unrwa.org
Sami Mshasha
Chief of Communications, Arabic Language Spokesperson
Mobile:
+972 (0)54 216 8295
Office:
+972 (0)2 589 0724
s.mshasha@unrwa.org