video: "two years under siege"

[عر] [de] [it] [fr]
two years after the outbreak of the war in nahr al-bared, the camp's fate remains unclear. the reconstruction of the official camp might start soon, but the army keeps its tight grip on the camp. several checkpoints, barbed wire and military posts cut nahr al-bared off from its surroundings.

nahr al-bared camp used to be a thriving marketplace in the northern lebanese region of akkar and about half its costumers were lebanese. during the war, the lebanese army has not only defeated the militant group fatah al-islam, but also completely destroyed the refugee camp. its businesses were looted, smashed and burnt, even after the war had ended. the camp's once flourishing economy was physically eliminated.

two years later, about half the camp's population has returned to its adjacent area. hundreds of businesses have re-opened, but economic recovery is seriously hampered by the tight siege imposed by the lebanese army. thus, suspicions have risen that the war's actual target wasn't fatah al-islam, but nahr al-bared's economic life.

in this 10-minute film, the co-owner of an ice cream factory, the president of the local trader's committee and the imam of the al-quds mosque speak out on the siege and its economic consequences.

the film can be downloaded here (.mpeg/316mb) and here (.mov/124mb) in good quality. it can be watched here on youtube or below.

report: "the forgotten prime areas"

[de] [fr]
the three-month-long war between the lebanese army and fatah al-islam militants in the palestinian refugee camp of nahr al-bared in northern lebanon ended on 2 september 2007. while the lebanese army has allowed displaced residents to return to some parts of the camp, the fate of other parts of the camp still under the army's control remains unclear. (...) [read more]

video: "a sip of coffee"

[عر] [de] [fr] [tr]
in may 2007, the battle between fatah al-islam and the lebanese army broke out in nahr al-bared refugee camp in northern lebanon. amidst heavy fighting, the lebanese army had systematically destroyed the entire camp by september 2007. two years later, nearly all the rubble has been cleared from the "old camp", the core of nahr al-bared. however, though the displaced residents grow increasingly desperate, reconstruction has yet to begin.

not only does the lebanese army keep people away from the old camp, but it also controls movement in and out of the surrounding area known as the "new camp.” anyone entering the new camp requires a valid permit issued by the army. refugees and NGOs working to revitalize the once robust economy of the camp face crippling isolation, as the marketplace of nahr al-bared is totally cut off from the surrounding villages. a flailing economy and soaring unemployment are only a few of the consequences of the destruction and ongoing siege of the camp.

this 26-minute film follows a father and his son as they attempt to deal with their unemployment. the two have been living in metal barracks for more than a year, waiting to return to their camp. by documenting issues of reconstruction, temporary housing, economy, unemployment and despair, the film touches on the daily experience of life in nahr al-bared camp.

the film can be downloaded here (.mpeg/804mb) and here (.mov/313mb) in good quality. it can be watched here (part 1/2/3) on youtube or below.

part 1:


part 2:


part 3:

report: "no work in nahr al-bared"

[de] [it] [fr]
mohammad and mahmoud sat on an idle field on the edge of the palestinian refugee camp of nahr al-bared in northern lebanon. while mahmoud sang to the songs being played on his mobile phone, mohammad used his for gaming. mohammad looked up and explained, "we spend our days doing nothing. we get up and sit at the cafe for a few hours. then we go home and pray. we gather again and return to the cafe. there we sit until the evening. every day passes like this." (...) [read more]

video: "protest against barracks"

[عر] [de] [es] [fr]
on 15 may 2009, several hundred residents of the destroyed nahr al-bared refugee camp in north lebanon gathered at the al-quds mosque to march along the army posts to a construction site in the south of the camp. there, yet another piece of land was flattened and the building of the fifth unit of temporary shelters for displaced families is being prepared.

in their chants, the protesters demanded the return to the old camp and the end of the siege on nahr al-bared and the abolishment of the permit system respectively. abu tayyeb of the residents' committee demanded the immediate stop of the building of the new barracks as long as the reconstruction in the old camp wouldn't start. he further criticized corruption and nepotism in the reconstruction process and asked why the rebuilding of the old camp is constantly being delayed. he hinted at intentions to actually not rebuild the camp and told the crowd: „the laying of the foundation stone on 9 march was nothing but a lie!“

the 2-minute video can currently only be watched here on youtube or below.

report: "growing resentment in nahr al-bared"

[de] [it] [fr]
about two years ago, a battle broke out between the lebanese army and the militant group fatah al-islam in the palestinian refugee camp of nahr al-bared in northern lebanon. the summer-long battle concluded in september 2007 and the camp was totally destroyed - the rubble indicating that the destruction was systematic, most likely committed by the lebanese army. after several delays, the UN-mandated core of the camp, the so-called "old camp," has meanwhile been cleared of approximately 600,000 meters of rubble. yet, reconstruction hasn't begun and residents are still unable to enter the old camp, the access of which is controlled by the lebanese army, and displaced refugees are increasingly resentful. (...) [read more]

video: "sans-papiers protest for identity papers"

[de]
on tuesday, 7 april 2009, more than 100 undocumented migrants and supporters marched from the refugee café "refugees welcome" to the department of social affairs and the department of migration of the canton of zurich. they demanded valid identity papers and protested against their identity cards being taken away.

at both offices, the refugees left a letter of protest, in which they demanded official identity cards. some of the sans-papiers only have a small paper issued by their emergency centers. however, these papers won't protect them from police repression. also, they can't get certain items at the post office or borrow books in libraries with this paper.

the protesters pointed out that since the occupation of a church in winter 2008/09, systematic police controls in and around emergency centers have increased. after the occupation, the department of migration of zurich forbid the emergency centers to issue provisional identity papers. especially refugees, who have to move from one center to another every week were stripped of their identity papers.

the undocumented migrants argued, that this way they're deliberately subjected to repression. they protested against their attrition and criminalization by the authorities. neither at the department of social affairs nor at the department of migration, the responsible officials appeared to receive the letter.

the 10-minute film documents the demonstration and refugees explain the context of their protest.
it can be downloaded here (.mpeg/329mb) and here (.mov/121mb). also, it can be watched here on youtube or below.