Urgent demand to the UNRWA and the Lebanese government
Palestinian Association for Human Rights "witness” and "Friends of Humanity International” ask the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for the Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the Lebanese Government to quickly and urgently move to construct a Water-Dam or Wave-Breaker along shores of Al-Rashidiya Camp and Jal El Bahar Gathering close to Lebanese city of Tyre. This appeal comes to rescue hundreds of houses exposed to collapse and fell down on their inhabitants. The extreme danger that threatens these houses is the very close location of these houses to the sea-shore and therefore they have been hazardously targeting to hits of sea waves and storms during winter. The strong sea waves directly and without any barriers hit the bases of houses excavating the under beneath sand and Basic-Course. In addition to destroying any walls, windows, doors or even Cement Pillars. Then the waves-water heavily and in huge plenty Pour flow inside houses sinking all house properties and causing big humanitarian dangers.
Though appeals and demands to solve this fatal problem are annually repeated, but, however actual responses are potentially partial and disable to solve the essential cause of this problem that heavily worries people of those houses.
Regarding, The Gathering of (Jal El Bahar), the Lebanese Government prevent basically any rehabilitation or construction there. But the government sometimes and very hardly allow to rehabilitate or construct after restricted conditions and demands.
Relatively, the Lebanese Government deprives Palestinians (especially Palestinian refugees) from owning or possessing due to foreigners law No. 296-2001. UNRWA always allege that the financial capabilities are not enough and the State doesn't allow her to implement and constructing or rehabilitating works. Therefore, UNRWA executes what is called "Partial Rescue Operations" or Simple Rehabilitation operations forced by frequent catastrophic consequences on those refugee dwellers. And Regarding Civil society Institutions' Roles, their abilities are very limited so they can't solve the essence of the problem.
Based on all above mentioned, we hereby launch An Appeal to quickly relief people of these regions through the followings:
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Accelerate to construct "Water-Dams" or Waves-breakers along the coastal shore of Al Rasheediah Camp and Jal El Bahar.
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Asking the Lebanese State to facilitate procedures of permissions for constructing and rehabilitating affected and destroyed houses in addition to build Dams on shores of Camps paralleled to the other Lebanese cities and villages.
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Asking Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) to take its role of helping people of these houses.
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If there problem of the existence of Jal El Bahar Gathering at the entrance of Tyre City, so the UNRWA in cooperation with the Lebanese Government are all asked to offer piece of land to build up houses to nearly 150 Palestinian refugee families living in this group.
Beirut, March 08, 2012