Palestinian refugees in Lebanon have launched calls for urgent humanitarian assistance by UN bodies and international relief organizations.

Palestinian families taking refuge in AlBekaa have been struggling for survival in the face of the sub-zero temperatures rocking the mountainous region and the rain downpours swamping their poorly-equipped tents.

Families have been left with no option other than burning plastic bottles to keep their children warm, despite the damage wrought on their vulnerable bodies. A fuel tank is sold at up to 15 USD.

Price leap and steep rental fees, along with the absence of relief aid, have made life unbearable for the Palestinian refugees in AlBekaa, among other displacement camps.

The situation has been exacerbated by UNRWA’s latest decision to cut aid for Palestinian refugees from Syria in Lebanon.

Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are grappling with increased hardship and vulnerability, due to long-term displacement and difficult socio-economic conditions, coupled with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over 470,000 Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon. About 45 per cent of them live in the country’s 12 refugee camps. Conditions in the camps are dire and characterized by overcrowding, poor housing conditions, unemployment, poverty and lack of access to justice.

Palestinians in Lebanon do not enjoy several important rights; for example, they cannot work in many professions and cannot own property (real estate). Because they are not formally citizens of another state, Palestine refugees are unable to claim the same rights as other foreigners living and working in Lebanon.