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Life in Nahr al-Bared
By
Joyce Chediac
Published Jun 3, 2007 9:49 PM
Most of the Palestinians in Nahr al-Bared are the descendents of those
forced out of Palestine by Zionists in 1948. According to Samar Assad,
executive director of the Palestine Center in Washington, they live in
conditions that “are the worst of virtually any refugee
population.” (electronicintifada.net, May 22)
The 300,000 Palestinians in Lebanon, comprising a tenth of the population, live
under a form of apartheid. They have no political rights, and little access to
jobs, housing or education. The following excerpts from the Minorities at Risk
Project, part of the Center for International Development and Conflict
Management at the University of Maryland, describe the plight of Palestinians
in Lebanon:
#8226;Most Palestinians in Lebanon are refugees who live in overpopulated
camps (some in existence for over 50 years) that have suffered repeated damage
as a result of fighting in the region. ... Since 2000, the living conditions in
the camps have deteriorated even more.
•Lebanon’s immigration policies ... classify all Palestinians
as foreigners and not citizens, excluding them from most political rights, such
as participating in national elections. ... Most Palestinian refugees are
unable to obtain citizenship in Lebanon.
•The Lebanese government does not provide health services to
Palestinian refugees, who rely on the UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East—WW] and UNRWA-contracted
hospitals.
•The economic plight of the Palestinians in Lebanon is dismal, and
is generally worse than those Palestinians in Jordan and the territories, since
they are unwelcome by their host country. For example, in 2001 the Lebanese
Parliament enacted a law that prohibited Palestinian refugees from owning
property in the country. Under the new legislation, Palestinians may not
purchase property and those who already own property will not be allowed to
pass it on to their children.
•Palestinians are forced to reside in the designated refugee
camps.
•Although the Lebanese government has abolished the law that denies
work permits to foreigners, Palestinian refugees are prohibited by law from
working in 72 professions. In the available job market, Palestinians are
largely unable to find stable jobs or work unskilled occupations because they
are discriminated against in the economic sector. ... In recent years, the
income level of Palestinians continued to decline.
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