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Situation of the Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon
Representatives from two United Nations organizations responsible for
refugee welfare recently spoke to a large audience of the AUB community
about the situation of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. Richard Cook,
director of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees), and Stephane Jaquemet, regional representative of UNHCR (United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), undertook to explain the situation,
outlining what their respective mandates and programs are responsible
for.
Cook attempted to dispel a few misunderstandings regarding UNRWA. Its
original mission, officially mandated in 1949, was to provide emergency
relief to Palestinian refugees, individuals defined as permanent residents
of Palestine who lost both home and sustainable employment after 1948.
Since then, UNRWA's mandate has evolved and now includes human resources,
education, medicine, nutrition, and shelter.
There are three types of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon: individuals
registered with UNRWA, individuals registered with the Lebanese government,
and "non-ID" or unregistered refugees. UNRWA provides organized
relief to the first two classes of refugees, but assistance to the third
class is haphazard. Cook admitted that conditions in the camps are very
poor.
UNHCR, the most far-reaching UN organization, is responsible for refugees
worldwide. Jaquemet explained that a kind of division of labor exists
with regard to the Palestinian refugees, whereby UNHCR is responsible
for all the Palestinian refugees that UNRWA does not support. Because
of its far-reaching capabilities, UNHCR makes use of local NGOs and local
governments and packages its relief programs to fit a specific country's
needs. In Lebanon, a large amount of time goes into the designation of
refugee status. Each applicant goes through a three- to four-hour interview,
and asylum is provided through a network of organizations. Legal representation
is a large concern, in light of the fact that refugees of any kind are
illegal within Lebanon and are at risk of deportation.