World Vision Calling for Ceasefire to Reach Civilians in Embattled Refugee Camp
As Lebanon’s worst internal fighting in 17 years continues to rage in and around the Naher el-Bared refugee camp, World Vision is calling for a ceasefire to deliver humanitarian aid to the 30,000 civilians trapped inside.
The Christian aid agency works with local partners to run ongoing educational and vocational programs for vulnerable Palestinian refugees—including disabled youth, women and children—and is concerned about the welfare of civilians and humanitarian staff who lack access to water, electricity, medicine or food.
“We are talking about an overcrowded, impoverished settlement where more than one-third of the refugees are children,” said Ruba Khoury, World Vision’s project manager for Lebanon. “If everyday life was a challenge for these families before this fighting, it has to be a nightmare now.”
World Vision is planning to send in relief staff to assess the most urgent needs and begin delivering aid as soon as safe passage can be assured. The most urgent needs will likely be for water, food, emergency medical care, and medicine, Khoury said.
“Even on its best days, Naher el-Bared camp looks like another country from the rest of Lebanon. You can smell sewage and see dangerous wires protruding onto narrow streets where barefoot, unsupervised children play,” describes Khoury. “Without meaningful job prospects, these children don’t have a very promising future to look forward to. World Vision is trying to change that with innovative programs and training—but right now we can’t even get inside to make sure our children are safe.”
The Christian aid agency works with local partners to run ongoing educational and vocational programs for vulnerable Palestinian refugees—including disabled youth, women and children—and is concerned about the welfare of civilians and humanitarian staff who lack access to water, electricity, medicine or food.
“We are talking about an overcrowded, impoverished settlement where more than one-third of the refugees are children,” said Ruba Khoury, World Vision’s project manager for Lebanon. “If everyday life was a challenge for these families before this fighting, it has to be a nightmare now.”
World Vision is planning to send in relief staff to assess the most urgent needs and begin delivering aid as soon as safe passage can be assured. The most urgent needs will likely be for water, food, emergency medical care, and medicine, Khoury said.
“Even on its best days, Naher el-Bared camp looks like another country from the rest of Lebanon. You can smell sewage and see dangerous wires protruding onto narrow streets where barefoot, unsupervised children play,” describes Khoury. “Without meaningful job prospects, these children don’t have a very promising future to look forward to. World Vision is trying to change that with innovative programs and training—but right now we can’t even get inside to make sure our children are safe.”
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