PRESS RELEASE
28 December 2007

9,000 children from Nahr El Bared Camp return to school because "Dubai Cares"

Beirut - Nine thousand children from the Nahr El Bared camp in Lebanon destroyed in fighting are now able in the New Year to return to school in temporary schools located in the Beddawi and Nahr El Bared areas thanks to a donation of US$ 1.277 million made by Dubai Cares.

UNRWA’s Commissioner-General Mrs. Karen Abu-Zayd warmly welcomed the US$ 1.277 million donation from Dubai Cares, "an organization which has risen from the society of Dubai, whose leader has inspired his people to donate enthusiastically to a good cause: the education of poor children", she said.

Dubai Cares was launched with spectacular success earlier this year by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, with an original aim of raising money to help educate 1 million children in poor countries. The campaign to raise funds having already exceeded expectations by raising $465 million, this amount was doubled by a generous contribution from Shaikh Mohammed himself, making Dubai Cares one of the best endowed humanitarian establishments in the region.

With Dubai Cares’ contribution, UNRWA has rented, furnished and equipped schools in the Beddawi camp area and the area adjacent to Nahr El Bared, to allow displaced children to continue their education as normally as possible, pending reconstruction of the camp and the schools it contained. Traumatised children will be receiving psychological support, and recreational activities will be organised for them.

The Commissioner-General said that, "one cannot imagine the distress of all these displaced children who have had to live in miserable conditions because of the conflict in North Lebanon. Schooling will bring them stability and extra-curricular activities will create a favourable environment for their psychological development."

UNRWA provides basic education to 500,000 Palestine refugee children in Gaza, West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. In addition, the Agency has developed programmes for children, according to their needs, such as remedial education, support for those with learning disabilities and other special needs.