Norway to give NOK 10 million for Palestinian refugee camp

Norway pledged NOK 10 million for the reconstruction of the Palestinian refugee camp Nahr el-Bared in Lebanon at the donor conference in Vienna today.

State Secretary Raymond Johansen in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented: “More than 30 000 refugees were driven from the camp when it was completely destroyed during the fighting between the Lebanese army and Islamists in 2007. Since then, the refugees have been living under extremely difficult conditions. Norway will now contribute NOK 10 million to a multi-donor trust fund.

“It is positive that Lebanon has now, for the first time, agreed to take part in the reconstruction of a refugee camp that has been razed to the ground. Many Lebanese people living around the camp have also been affected by the fighting. They too will benefit from the work that is now being started.

“At the conference, Norway underlined the need for all parties to coordinate their efforts so that the refugees will be able to move back as soon as possible. Norway also pointed out the importance to taking the different needs of women and men into account in the reconstruction work.”

It was fighting between the Islamist group Fatah al-Islam and the Lebanese army between May and September 2007 that led to the destruction of the refugee camp Nahr el-Bared. Several hundred Islamists, soldiers and civilians were killed, and more than 30 000 refugees were driven from the camp. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the UN entity charged with the care of Palestinian refugees, will be responsible for the reconstruction work, which is expected to take from two to three years.