Palestinians to protest failure to address hardships of Nahr al-Bared displaced

BEIRUT: Palestinians and their sympathizers will stage rallies nationwide on Wednesday, demanding that authorities address the hardships suffered by displaced former residents of the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp, as Wednesday marks the third anniversary of the outbreak of the conflict that largely destroyed the camp.

snip

“What we are facing is that all of us are Fatah al-Islam, and that is not acceptable,” Kattoura said, referring to the militant group that fought against the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) for over three months at the camp in mid-2007. “The main issue is that we need to approach this from the political gate, not the security gate. We are receiving too many promises and not seeing results on the ground.

snip

Lebanon’s legal bans on Palestinians owning property outside the camps and working in most non-menial professions are also worsening the plight of the evacuees, Kattoura said. Camp residents whose homes fell outside the original borders of the camp tried to repair their war-scarred homes, but LAF soldiers forbade them from fixing their houses because of the law against Palestinians owning Lebanese land, Kattoura added.

snip

In the end, wealthy Arab nations could provide the necessary reconstruction funds, but for now the displaced have lost their economic and social lives, Kattoura added. Nahr al-Bared used to be one of Lebanon’s most economically vital refugee camps, but businesses have not returned because of the burdensome security measures; Lebanese citizens can enter the camp only for a limited time and only after leaving their identity cards with the LAF, Kattoura said.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=115050#axzz0oRRbAW2y