UNRWA, EU Hand Over Newly-Built Houses to 93 Nahr el-Bared Families

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the European Union on Tuesday held a ceremony in the Nahr el-Bared Palestinian refugee camp to mark the handing over of newly reconstructed houses to 93 returning families.

A statement issued by the EU Delegation to Lebanon said the ceremony highlighted the “longstanding support of the EU and UNRWA to Palestine refugees displaced from Nahr el-Bared following the 2007 crisis.”

EU Ambassador Christina Lassen and Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon Claudio Cordone handed over keys to the families to celebrate their return to the camp.

“Thanks to the generous contribution of EUR 12 million from the EU, an overall number of 348 families returned and 81 retail units were built, and the social and economic prospects of the Palestinian community in the Nahr el-Bared camp were improved,” the EU statement said.

Adnan Omar and his family were happy to finally receive the key to their house.

Omar said: “It is a great day for us because we are going back home. We can finally have privacy. We are thankful to the EU for helping us to return to our house after a long time of waiting, suffering and displacement.”

The EU and UNRWA also launched the next phase of the reconstruction works under a new project entitled “Further Support to the Reconstruction of Nahr el-Bared Camp” in the amount of EUR 12 million. This new contribution from the EU will enable the return of 360 families with the provision of furniture grants. In addition, 78 retail units will be rebuilt, thus helping “further rejuvenate the economic activity in the camp.”

Additional funding will also be provided by EU Member States.

Speaking at the event, Cordone thanked the EU for their ongoing support to Palestine refugees, and specifically for the reconstruction of Nahr el-Bared.

"Without this support, hundreds of Palestine refugees would continue to live in unhealthy and inappropriate living conditions after 10 years of displacement. We all look forward to the day when all displaced families return to their new homes. UNRWA is committed to maximizing the speed of the reconstruction while always seeking to improve the living conditions of the refugees,” he said.

"Today we are handing over keys to the new apartments to 93 families that have been waiting for too long. Since 2007, these families had to endure very difficult living conditions. But all along they kept the hope alive that one day they would return to what they could call a home, away from home," Ambassador Lassen said.

She added: "Our support does not stop here: today we are also visiting Nahr el-Bared to present a new future and to assure you of our enduring commitment to support Palestinian Refugees. Later today we will be visiting the areas where we will soon start the construction of additional housing units that will be delivered within the next 18 months through a dedicated fund worth EUR 12 million.”