Many Palestinian refugees live in the country’s twelve refugee camps. Once places of sanctuary, today, conditions in the camps are dire and characterized by overcrowding, poor housing conditions, unemployment, poverty, and lack of access to justice.
As Lebanon struggles, relations between Palestinians and host nationals evolve.
At its emergence in early 2020, the COVID-19 virus knew no borders, respected no ethnicity, and knew no social barriers. It began, in many ways, as the world’s most democratic of pandemics.
For almost eight years, the Palestinian Civil Defense in Lebanon has assumed an unofficial role as ambassador to the Republic. Bravely, selflessly and often, thanklessly, the men and women of the PCDL have attended many of the nation’s emergencies, working shoulder-to-shoulder with the Red Cross, Red Crescent, and the Lebanese Civil Defense. All too often the unsung heroes of numerous incidents, who are the PCDL? The aim of the Palestinian Civil Defense in Lebanon is multi-layered but straightforward. “First and foremost, we’re here to protect lives”, says PCDL spokesperson and head of its Burj El Barajneh unit, Mohammed El Habet.…
