Showing posts with label lebanon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lebanon. Show all posts

Dec 15, 2014

report: "nahr al-bared reconstruction in limbo"

2014-12-15 
the reconstruction of nahr al-bared camp is running out of funds. thousands of refugees have been waiting for 7 years to return to the camp – and will have to wait for even a few more years, until their homes are rebuilt. (...) [read more]

Dec 3, 2010

report: "nahr al-bared reconstruction delay throws civil rights into spotlight"

2010-12-03

more than three years after nahr al-bared refugee camp in the north of lebanon was destroyed, its reconstruction is finally under way. however, the process runs at a slow pace and remains only partially funded as further political obstacles appear on the horizon. meanwhile, the lebanese army continues to maintain a tight grip on the camp's residents and attempts to silence any criticism. (...) [read more]

Nov 19, 2010

report: "lebanon pressured to improve palestinians' lot"

2010-11-19
[de]
abu yussif doesn't want to talk about his work any more. "it's not going to help and nothing will change anyway," he says. the tall, white-haired palestinian has just returned from work and relaxes in his little garden in the refugee camp bourj ash-shamali near the southern lebanese city of tyre. abu yussif is a pharmacist. but the massive discrimination against palestinians on the lebanese labour market has forced him to give up his profession and work as a taxi driver. (...) [read more]

Aug 28, 2010

report: "a missed opportunity"

2010-08-28
[de]
last week's decision by the lebanese parliament to improve the employment situation of palestinians has gained wide media attention and praise around the world. in fact, however, the reform hardly changes the refugees' dire conditions in lebanon. (...) [read more]

Mar 15, 2010

video: "checkpoints and more"

2010-03-15
[عر] [de] [es] [it] [fr]
nahr al-bared refugee camp has still not recovered from the devastating war in 2007 during which it was destroyed. the lebanese army has been keeping a tight grip on the camp and the 20.000 displaced palestinians that have returned so far. the army's siege seriously hampers the camp's economic recovery, as access is restricted and the area was declared a military zone. a recent survey found that the army's presence and measures are considered a difficulty by 98 per cent of nahr al-bared's business owners. the army meanwhile justifies its presence as necessary to the preservation of the safety of the people.

this 30-minute film documents various consequences of the siege on nahr al-bared. merchants and artisans explain their specific problems and the UNRWA project manager, a project coordinator of the palestinian-arab women league, the president of nahr al-bared's merchants' committee and a researcher provide their views and thoughts on the issue.

the short documentary can be downloaded here and watched here (part 1/2/3) on youtube.

1/3:


2/3:


3/3:

Mar 12, 2010

report: "nahr al-bared camp still far from being rebuilt"

2010-03-12
[de]
after the palestinian refugee camp nahr al-bared was totally destroyed in a war in 2007, the lebanese government promised the 30.000 refugees a quick reconstruction and the return to the camp. however, the government's words haven't materialized yet, while the camp remains under the tight grip of the lebanese army. (...) [read more]

Jan 18, 2010

report: "nahr al-bared's economic recovery hampered by military siege"

2010-01-18
[de] [fr]
more than two years after the end of the fighting, the war-torn palestinian refugee camp of nahr al-bared, located in northern lebanon, is far from the model the lebanese government has promised the camp would become. instead, reconstruction of the camp is delayed, the area is a military zone with restricted access, and the camp's economy is stalled and residents are largely unemployed. (...) [read more]

report: "new lebanese security approach rejected by palestinians"

2010-01-18
[de] [fr]
recent inter-factional clashes in lebanon's ain al-hilweh refugee camp once more illustrated the fragile security situation in some of its palestinian camps. lebanese plans to take over security within the camps are rejected by the palestinians. (...) [read more]

Dec 29, 2009

report: "rebellious rhymes from a destroyed refugee camp"

2009-12-29
[de] [es] [fr]
the hip-hop beats ringing through the muddy, unlit streets of the burnt-out palestinian refugee camp nahr al-bared seem incongruous. but the rhymes are camp-grown - and courageous. (...) [read more]

Dec 17, 2009

video: "rapping against post-war misery"

2009-12-17
[عر] [de] [it] [fr] [tr]
mc tamarrod is the first and only rapper in nahr al-bared refugee camp in lebanon. since the destruction of the camp in a war in 2007, mc tamarrod is among 30.000 displaced palestinians. almost 20.000 refugees have returned to the outskirts of the destroyed camp, awaiting its reconstruction and suffering from the lebanese army's siege of the camp.

displacement, temporary housing, checkpoints, humiliation, discrimination... these are the topics that mc tamarrod angrily raps about. inspired by the hip-hop crews katibe 5 and i-voice in beirut's bourj al-barajneh refugee camp and rap groups in palestine such as ramallah underground or DAM, he decided to take up the microphone and let the world beyond the checkpoints know about the situation in nahr al-bared.

this 5 minutes clip features mc tamarrod's latest song and a short interview with the rapper. it can be downloaded here and watched here on youtube or below.

Nov 25, 2009

report: "refugees remain sceptical of nahr al-bared reconstruction"

2009-11-25
[de] [fr] [tr]
more than two years after their refugee camp was destroyed in a war between the lebanese army and the islamist militant group fatah al-islam, nahr al-bared refugees wednesday witnessed the start of the camp’s reconstruction. their relief is mixed with scepticism, however. (...) [read more]

Nov 9, 2009

image: popular art in nahr al-bared camp

2009-11-09
[عر] [de] [es] [it]
a few days ago, two displaced residents of the destroyed nahr al-bared refugee camp in north lebanon expressed their perception of the reconstruction process on a local wall...

Oct 1, 2009

report: "nahr al-bared reconstruction delays protested"

2009-10-01

since the end of august, construction equipment in the palestinian refugee camp of nahr al-bared, near the northern lebanese city of tripoli, has stood unused after the lebanese state council granted a two month moratorium for the reconstruction of the camp. nahr al-bared, home to approximately 30,000 refugees, was destroyed during a three-month-long battle between the lebanese army and the militant group fatah al-islam in the summer of 2007. (...) [read more]

Sep 23, 2009

report: "nahr al-bared's reconstruction in limbo"

2009-09-23
[de] [it] [fr]
since the end of august, construction machines in the palestinian refugee camp nahr al-bared are resting. the lebanese state council granted a two month moratorium for the reconstruction of the destroyed camp. (...) [read more]

Aug 25, 2009

report: "shattered camp revives under military eyes"

2009-08-25
palestinian refugees at nahr al-bared in north lebanon are living under tight military siege two years after a war destroyed the refugee camp. it has now become a test case for a new approach in lebanon's security policy towards palestinian refugee camps. (...) [read more]

Jun 24, 2009

video: "two years under siege"

2009-06-24
[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.

Jun 15, 2009

report: "the forgotten prime areas"

2009-06-15
[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]

Jun 11, 2009

video: "a sip of coffee"

2009-06-11
[عر] [de] [it] [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:

May 24, 2009

report: "no work in nahr al-bared"

2009-05-24
[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]

May 18, 2009

video: "protest against barracks"

2009-05-18
[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.