2023-09-29 14:03:08
Beirut – Palestinian Information Center
Every Palestinian camp in Lebanon has a story of pain and pain, but all refugees share the suffering of asylum and displacement, and the hope of return and liberation.
Our story today is regarding the Dbayeh camp, which is called the forgotten camp, which was established in the 1950s, on land belonging to the Lebanese Maronite monastic endowment, on an area estimated at half a square kilometre, with the aim of sheltering Palestinian refugees who came from the Galilee region in northern Palestine.
It is located in the town of Dbayeh on the coast of the northern Matn District of Mount Lebanon Governorate, north of the city of Beirut, on a hill overlooking the highway connecting the Lebanese capital and the city of Tripoli in the north of the country.
There were no military checkpoints or armed appearances, not even slogans, flags, or pictures of the leaders of the Palestinian march, at the entrance to the camp, which seemed different from the rest of the camps in Lebanon.
Because of its strategic location, the camp suffered from many acts of violence, and a large part of it was destroyed during the civil war in Lebanon (1975-1990), which led to the displacement of more than 100 families of Palestinian Christian refugees.
Dbayeh camp residents complain of severe economic difficulties, like other Palestinian refugees living in Lebanese camps, as many are unemployed young men. This comes amid the almost complete absence of services from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
The reality of Palestinian camps and gatherings in Lebanon expresses a painful reality in which suffering has accumulated over decades of neglect and marginalization, leaving the lives of Palestinian refugees in a state of permanent depletion of their social and economic structures.
Location and memory
Dbayeh camp is regarding 12 km northeast of Beirut. Its population is predominantly Christian. According to UNRWA, 4,000 Palestinians live there. During the Lebanese civil war, the camp was subjected to a lot of destruction, causing more than 75 casualties in 1976. The same scenario was repeated. In 1990, nearly half of the camp’s homes were destroyed, leading to the displacement of more than 100 families residing there.
Refugee Youssef, who lives in the camp, says that the refugees are suffering greatly inside the camp. The situation is harsh and difficult for the Lebanese, let alone the Palestinian.
In his interview with our correspondent, Youssef complained regarding the intense heat in the summer, where his house is covered with tin, and the absence of electricity for long hours, in addition to the winter, where water seeps into the house.
According to reports, during the 1950s, a number of the camp’s residents were granted Lebanese citizenship, but that did not prevent the destruction of half of the camp and the displacement of a number of its residents to areas in Beirut and countries outside Lebanon.
Today, regarding 2,000 people of both Lebanese and Palestinian nationalities live in the camp, in addition to the presence of a Syrian minority (regarding 40 families), who took it as their headquarters following the war that broke out in Syria in 2011.
The reality of Palestinian camps and gatherings in Lebanon expresses a painful reality in which suffering has accumulated over decades of neglect and marginalization, leaving the lives of Palestinian refugees in a state of permanent depletion of their social and economic structures.
Problems and suffering
Wissam Rafiq Qassis, head of the popular committee in the camp, says that the camp suffers from some problems, starting with some organizations occupying their only school, and contaminated water reaching homes, where it is not suitable for drinking or any use.
He calls on UNRWA to intervene to modernize its existing clinic, such as purchasing an electrocardiogram machine and establishing a laboratory, so that refugees do not have to go to Beirut, which costs them trouble, fatigue, and additional expenses, which most are unable to afford, and the camp also lacks an ambulance.
Like other Palestinian camps in Lebanon, the “electricity motor” subscription costs one family approximately 100 US dollars, and the people are forced to buy drinking water, with the lack of international aid provided to the camp’s people, in light of the stifling economic conditions.
A priest says: Some parties, led by the Lebanese Forces, attract some young men, which makes them forget their cause, and this matter is disturbing not only because of its political history, but also out of respect for Lebanon, the host country, and adherence to the Palestinian identity, stressing that the Palestinian in the camps is a guest in this land, and the day of return will come.
Perhaps the biggest fear is the expiration of the lease between UNRWA and Deir Saint Joseph, which worries their future and the possibility of their deportation from the camp.
Refugees in the camp confirmed that the lack of a school in the camp is worrying, because their children are forced to go to expensive private schools, while UNRWA uses the excuse that the number of students is less than the required number, to open a school in the camp.
The acquisition of Lebanese citizenship by a large percentage of the camp’s residents is a major problem, because they are caught between the hands of pincers. The Lebanese state treats them as second-class citizens and does not cover them in the usual proportions for the various Lebanese, and UNRWA does not treat them on the basis that they are Palestinians, and therefore they do not benefit as required, neither from the state nor from UNRWA.
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