Inhabitants Check Damage in Lebanon’s Ain Al-Hilweh Camp as Clashes Renewed
(AWP) - Inhabitants of the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh in Lebanon were out on Tuesday to examine the destruction left by battles that went on for three days between Islamist groups and Fatah Movement’s National Security Forces (NSF) after a truce was effective yesterday.
Efforts are underway to consolidate the truce, brokered Monday evening, after clashes have reportedly erupted once again.
Lebanon’s local National News Agency (NNA) said machine-gun fire and rocket firing have been heard all over the southern Lebanon city of Sidon, where the camp is located.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) on Monday said the clashes left one person killed and 40 others wounded, including a person from the agency staff.
According to Association 302 to Defend Refugees Rights, an independent media outlet concerned with news about Palestinian refugees, said the clashes caused the destruction of infrastructure facilities of water, electricity, sewerage system and roads in addition to the burning down of 700 houses.
Stores, vehicles, water tanks and mosques have been damaged in the clashes, the association said in a statement.
Quoting a statement by UNRWA Monday evening, the association noted that the armed violence in the Ain al-Hilweh camp left 11 refugees killed and 40 others, including an UNRWA employee, wounded.
Two UNRWA schools were damaged too as about 2,000 people have fled from the camp that houses 80,000 Palestinian refugees.