Burj al-Barajneh Palestinian camp in Beirut's southern suburbs. (Credit: UNRWA)
BEIRUT — Residents of Burj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut's southern suburbs issued on Saturday an urgent cry for help, directing their appeal to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
The Palestinian refugees living in the camp, who have been severely impacted by the disruption of public life due to the violent Israeli aerial campaign against Lebanon, are demanding immediate relief and assistance.
In a collective statement, camp residents emphasized their urgent need for critical relief services, medical care and financial support, which they say have largely disappeared.
"Medical clinics have been closed, and most vital services that are essential for a decent life have stopped," the statement read.
The residents invoked U.N. General Assembly Resolution 302, which established UNRWA’s mandate, and Resolution 194, which calls for the protection and rights of Palestinian refugees, urging the agency to fulfill its legal and humanitarian obligations.
“We demand that UNRWA urgently and regularly provide health and relief services, as well as financial assistance, ensuring coverage for all Palestinian refugees without exception,” the statement continued.
The camp has been under severe strain due to the ongoing Israeli airstrikes exploding just a few meters away from the camp in Burj al-Barajneh, a large neighborhood in the southern suburbs.
On Wednesday, the Israeli army struck the Palestinian refugee camp of Beddawi in northern Lebanon, an area that has been targeted for the first time since Oct. 8, 2023.