DBAYEH REFUGEE CAMP

Dbayeh camp is situated 12 km east of Beirut on a hill overlooking the Beirut-Tripoli highway. It was established in 1956 for refugees who originally came from the Galilee in northern Palestine. It is the only remaining Palestine refugee camp in the Eastern suburbs of Beirut .

Due to its location, the camp suffered a great deal of violence and destruction during the years of civil conflict. In 1990 alone 25 percent of the shelters were destroyed or severely damaged and over 100 of its principally Christian Palestine refugee families were displaced. Although the Agency provides assistance for shelter rehabilitation and continues to provide basic services the camp is quite far from UNRWA's main service centres.

UNRWA with the support from ECHO rehabilitated 6 shelters in 2003.

The refugees live in severe economic hardship; many of them are unemployed. A few men are able to find work as casual labourers and some young women work in shops in the area or as cleaners.

FACTS AND FIGURES

• There are 4,211 registered Palestine refugees;
• 67 families of 162 persons are registered as S.H.Cs.
• One part-time UNRWA health centre (two days per week) with an average of 57 patients per day;
• The camp's 144 pupils attend UNRWA's Carmel Elementary/Preparatory School in Burj Hammoud, East Beirut for the year 2003/2004.

In addition to the facilities UNRWA provides a number of NGOs are active in Dbayeh, including Mar Mansour Association, the Little Sisters of Nazareth, and the Pontifical Mission, Popular Aid for Relief and Development (PARD). The services they provide include social and medical services and a kindergarten. Special care is provided for the young and elderly.

The inhabitants of the camp have access to the RSSD loan and soft loan schemes.