R E F U G E E S

EL-BUSS REFUGEE CAMP

El-Buss refugee camp is located 1.5 kilometres south of Tyre. The French government originally built the camp in 1939 for Armenian refugees. Palestinians from the Acre area in the Galilee came to el-Buss in the 1950s, and the Armenians were moved to the Anja area.

Due to its relatively small size and location, the camp was spared much of the violence that the other camps experienced throughout the Lebanese Civil War.

The refugee in el-Buss generally work in seasonal agricultural and construction jobs. The camp‘s inhabitants live in concrete block shelters, some of which were built by the refugees themselves. The water, sewerage and storm water systems were rehabilitated in 2007-2008.

Registered Refugees:

  • Total number: 9,849
  • Average family size: 3.76

UNRWA Education Programme

  • Schools: Four elementary/preparatory schools
  • Pupils: 1227

The disability programme recently carried out a needs assessment for the local kindergartens to identify children with special needs for further intervention.

UNRWA Relief and Social Services Programme

  • Social Safety Net (SSN) Programme beneficiaries: 1407 individuals
  • Provides children with disabilities psycho-therapy and covers rehabilitation services such as prosthetic and corrective devices.
  • Students with disabilities are sponsored to attend specialized institutions; students with motor disabilities and visual impairments are streamlined in UNRWA schools.

UNRWA Health Programme

  • Health centre : 1
  • Number of medical staff: 21, regularly visited by specialists in gynecology, cardiology and ophthalmology
  • Number of patient consultations per month: 4708

Staff from the el-Buss camp also serve Palestine refugees living in South Lebanon outside the camp.

Community Services

  • A community managed women's programme centre runs skill-training courses and apprenticeships. The centre organizes awareness sessions on health, social, legal, human rights and gender issues and coordinates with local NGOs to respond to community needs.

  • A number of local NGOs provide services in the camp. They provide medical assistance as well as hospital services, kindergatens training centres, rehabilitation centres for refugees with disabilities and cultural clubs.