UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Sigrid Kaag Visits the Palestine Refugee Camp of Burj Barajneh

22 Jun 2015

UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Sigrid Kaag Visits the Palestine Refugee Camp of Burj Barajneh

Beirut, Lebanon
Monday, 22 June 2015
Ms. Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon today called for increased donor assistance to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in order to meet the needs of Palestine Refugees in Lebanon and Palestine Refugees from Syria. Ms. Kaag was speaking during a visit to the Palestinian refugee camp of Burj El-Barajneh in the southern suburbs of Beirut accompanied by UNRWA Director Matthias Schmale.

The Special Coordinator was briefed by UNRWA on the agency’s work in the twelve refugee camps in Lebanon, including in Burj El-Barajneh, and the growing challenges faced as a result of diminishing international donor assistance. “Residents of the camp are facing enormous difficulties every day; all possible efforts should be made to give greater support to Palestine refugees here,” she said. The Special Coordinator met with Palestine Refugees from Syria, visited a health center managed by UNRWA and an active aging house for senior Palestine refugees. She also met with the camp’s youth and popular committees who briefed her on the situation in the camp, including the problems of healthcare, poverty, unemployment and housing. The Special Coordinator welcomed the calm that has been maintained in Burj El-Barajneh, particularly since the beginning of the crisis in Syria. She encouraged further cooperation between the Palestinian and Lebanese authorities to ensure that this stability continues to prevail. There are some 40,000 residents in Burj El-Barajneh camp, including 22,000 Palestine Refugees from Lebanon and 8000 Palestine Refugees from Syria and others.
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