Conflict Incident Report

UNRWA offices in north and south Lebanon were forced shut Wednesday by angry Palestinians who stepped up their protests against the agency’s recent decision to stop providing vital aid and support. In the meantime, Lebanese authorities have informed the Palestinian committee organizing the protests against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency that they must obtain prior permission for any protests outside the agency’s offices in the southern city of Sidon. The Lebanese decision came after Palestinians from the Ain al-Hilweh and Mieh Mieh refugee camps near Sidon staged a large protest outside the UNRWA office in the city’s eastern suburb of Hlalieh. Work at the office was stopped. The protesters said they had a right to receive hospitalization and education, saying the UNRWA, backed by the international community and donor countries, was responsible for carrying out its duties toward the refugees. “We Palestinians are oppressed refugees. We do not want to beg from anyone. We just want to return to Palestine,” one of the protesters said. Following the sit-in, Lebanese authorities summoned officials of the committee organizing the protests to inform them that they must get a prior permission for any protests outside the UNRWA office in Sidon. From now on, Lebanese authorities will not tolerate any protests or a sit-in outside the camps and in front of UNRWA offices without permission from the governor of the south, sources close to the protesters said. The sources said the measure is aimed at protecting the protesters and UNRWA’s institutions. Further south, Palestinians from Tyre’s three neighboring camps took part in a large protest which also saw the closure of the southern city’s UNRWA office, where refugees called on the agency to come up with quick and urgent solutions to end the “chronic situation” in the camps. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2016/Jan-21/333117-palesti...