Coordination meeting between LPDC and the interministerial committee tasked with addressing Palestinian refugee issues in Lebanon…Dr. Al Hassan: It is necessary to hand over wanted people in Ain Al Hilweh

At the invitation of the LPDC Chairman Dr. Bassel Al Hassan, a coordination meeting was held in the LPDC office at the Grand Serail with members of the inter-ministerial committee to discuss the latest developments in Ain Al Hilweh and next steps. Attending members of the inter-ministerial committee consisted of: Mr. Fadi Sanan, representing the Ministry of Health, Judge Ayman Ahmed, representing the Ministry of Justice, Colonel Osama Badran, representing the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, Colonel Sami Nassif, representing the Ministry of Interior, Ms. Sonia El Khoury, representing the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Engineer Amin Jaber, representing the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and Engineer Bashir Al Omari, representing the Ministry of Social Affairs. Attendees agreed to conduct a field visit with LPDC to the Ain Al Hilweh camp, in cooperation with the High Relief Commission, in order to observe the challenging lived experiences of Palestinian refugees and survey the damages in the camp.  

Dr. Al Hassan highlighted the importance of activating the inter-ministerial committee to follow up on this file by setting in motion meetings with relevant ministries, to assuage the concerns of Palestinians in Lebanon despite the difficult circumstances of the state. He posed a question regarding the implications of the state maintaining an absent role in the camps, considering that recent events have brought the Palestinian file to the fore. He reaffirmed the necessity of activating the state’s presence in the camps for the benefit of both Lebanese and Palestinian parties.

Dr. Al Hassan emphasized the importance of revisiting the “Unified Lebanese vision for the Palestinian Refugees’ Affairs in Lebanon,” issued in 2016 with the approval of Palestinian parties and the participation of all Lebanese political forces. Noting that the LPDC national strategy is the practical application of this agreed upon vision. He stressed that the issue of human rights does not conflict with the right of return and the refusal of permanent settlement, elaborating upon LPDC’s progress on many issues, including that of the weapons file.

The meeting concluded with the inter-ministerial committee discussing how to facilitate procedures tied to livelihood and services, such as electricity fee collection and entry of construction materials into the camps. Within this framework, Dr. Al Hassan informed the inter-ministerial committee members of LPDC’s mission to resolve the issue of wanted people in the recent events of Ain Al Hilweh, upon coordinating with concerned parties, warning that failure to do so may reignite tensions in the camp once again. Members of the inter-ministerial committee also underlined the necessity of moving forward with meetings, and discussing approaches and perceptions of how extending basic human rights to Palestinian refugees and does not contravene with the rejection of permanent settlement.