Palestinian refugees threaten to close UNRWA offices

The Palestinian refugees who have fled Syria staged on Thursday a sit-in in Ain al-Helweh camp, outside the organization’s head office, to protest against the neglect of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), accusing the agency of ignoring their needs and threatening of closing its offices in case it does not place a serious plan to assist them on the health, financial and educational levels.            

The refugees stressed that they will carry on their movements, promising further escalatory steps until the UNRWA assumes its full responsibility toward them.                

In this context, Social Affairs Minister Wael Abou Faour declared that the financial assistance approved by the United Nations to help the Syrian refugees in Lebanon did not exceed USD 78 million, “from which the Lebanese government did not receive any penny”, as he said.          

Abou Faour noted that the Ministries of Health and Education need support amid the pressure witnessed by hospitals and schools to contain the Syrian refugees, calling for ending the politicization of this issue.