Following is a letter from a Bahraini friend working with a NGO providing emergency relief to newly displaced refugees from the Nahr el Bared refugee camp in the North of Lebanon:
Dear friends,
Hope this email finds you safe and well.
From the Shatila (Palestinian) refugee camp in Beirut, I am working at an NGO called the Children and Youth Centre to provide emergency relief to newly displaced refugees from the Nahr el Bared refugee camp in the North of Lebanon.
So far, among the various NGOs (non-governmental organisations) operating in the camp we have registered 230 refugee families from Nahr El Bared (with an average family size of 6) who have escaped the bombardment of the Lebanese army and the firefight between Fath El Islam militants and the Lebanese army.
The number of displaced families has continued to increase during my two weeks in Lebanon, and could well continue to do so.
These families are currently living with other families in the already overcrowded, poor, and slum-like conditions of the Shatila refugee camp, or in some form of temporary accommodation in the surrounding area. Many of them left their homes with nothing more than the clothes on their back.
NGOs have been working to provide the displaced families with food, clothes and shoes, water, medicines, hygiene kits, baby milk and nappies, mattresses, blankets and other basic amenities.
Because of the current political instability in Lebanon it is unclear how long these families will remain displaced. To help their children cope with their traumatic situation we have begun work at the CYC to integrate their children with the children of the Shatila camp through activities at the centre.
Unfortunately, unlike the response to the displacement of Lebanese families during Israel's war on Lebanon last summer this pending humanitarian disaster has failed to draw the support it needs.
I am appealing to individuals, organisations, charities and societies and companies in Bahrain to revive the inspiring humanitarian response to Israel's war on Lebanon last summer and donate money towards providing relief to the Nahr El Bared displaced refugees.
Please contact me directly for information on how to help - I can be reached at kanwal.t@gmail.com, +973 39439990 till next Tuesday, or on + 961 3960367.
Alternatively, direct donations can be made to the CYC:
FIRST NATIONAL BANK-SAL
SWIFT: FINK LBBE
AIC#: 0007 - 138922 - 103
BENEFICIARY: MAHMOUD ABBAS/ ABIR KASSEM
BRANCH: JNAH BRANCH - BEIRUT - LEBANONI really hope we can regenerate a similar response to support these beleagured people.
thanks,
Kanwal
Some pictures by Kanwal (click image to see full size):
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