Islamic Jihad distributes aid to Palestine refugees in Lebanon

The Islamic Jihad in Palestine movement has launched an aid campaign in Palestinian refugee camps across Lebanon, Quds Press reported on Tuesday.

“Launching this aid campaign stemmed from our responsibility for the Palestinian people,” explained the movement’s head of Palestine relations, Yousef Musa. “We want to help to ease the economic and social conditions that Palestinian refugees have been enduring due to the economic and other crises in Lebanon.”

The first phase of the campaign started in Shatila refugee camp in Beirut, he pointed out. As part of the campaign, solar panels will be installed to generate electricity for water pumps in the refugee camps with inadequate water supplies.

According to Musa, Islamic Jihad has stepped in as a result of the aid cuts by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). He accused the agency of abandoning its duties at a time when the refugees are in a very bad situation.

Quds Press noted that UNRWA categorises 93 per cent of the Palestine refugees in Lebanon as being under the official poverty line. This compares with a figure of 70 per cent last year.

Officially, there are 200,000 Palestine refugees living in 12 registered refugee camps and other “gatherings” in Lebanon. Unofficially, the figure is said to be much higher.

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