I just got this message from Olfat. Olfat is this wonderful Palestinian woman working on her masters in nursing or public health(??) who runs an NGO in one of the 4 Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut. She's a great person. The last time I talked to her was the day after that European paper ran that bad cartoon about the Prophet Muhammad. She had 4 Swedish nurses who were there to do their internship who she was sending back that day. Their embassy made them go back. It was a Saturday morning. I told these girls, Bye and we all hoped they would be able to come back. The next day, angered Muslims set fire to the Danish (??? a Scandanavian) embassy in Ashrafieh. We had to use an alternate route coming back from church.
The time before that I saw her was when my friend Christine was visiting me. We got to participate in Olfat's birthday celebration.
I took some pictures of the camp and talked about it from the first time I went. Go to the July 2005 archives of this blog.
Oh, the last time I saw her, I told her my contract is done at the end of June. So I would be ready to move into the camp and volunteer in the office and teach exercise and yoga classes.
About a month ago, I trashed that plan becaues of all the crazy stuff going on in Gaza. And I figured it wouldn't be safe to be there as an American. All my Lebanese friends really, really hated the idea of me moving down there. I was also planning on going to a camp for international volunteers in the West Bank that I wanted to go to last year. But again I trashed that idea with all of the craziness going on there.
Now looking back. I realized that stuff was getting extra, extra bad there. And let me tell you, I was asking around to people, Why isn't anyone talking about what is happening in Israel? It's really, really bad. Of course, it's always bad. But it seemed extra, special bad lately. Everyone was just into the World Cup thing. My friends admitted it. Yeah, things are getting extra, extra bad in Palestine, but all people want to talk about is the World Cup.
Please spread her e-mail. In fact, can someone work with her to write it up and send it to major magazines, newspaper etc? I obviously have to worry about other things right now. E-mail her or call her.
I'm going to call her right now.
Some of you might know what I'm thinking. But I'm not, really. Of course, I'm not.
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Borj El Barajneh Refugee camp. Beirut Lebanon
Thousands Isolated in a sea of destruction
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN ,
Dear Sirs/Madames,
First I would like to start with the situation here in Beirut. War has prevailed everywhere and the destruction has become our daily bread.
First and foremost starting with Borj Al Barajneh camp that is stuck in the middle of the fire and bombardment isolated from the surrounding areas leaving the residence suffering the tension of war and scarcity of life, since most of the Lebanese people were able to leave their place and houses to other parts of Beirut. Whereas the camp residence have no where to resort to except to stay in the camp.
Al Bourj camp is located in the southern suburb of Beirut surrounded by Hezbolla area where the bombs strike is very intensive day and night .It has three main entrances from the airport road other from Haret Horek and another one from the Borj area. So all the bombing is around it .Therefore, the best way to reach the camp is from the airport road which has become very dangerous and targeted at anytime of the day and night with no previous warning which endangers our lives as well ….
As you could perceive I am the director of the Women’s Humanitarian Organization in the camp as the war started people rushed to the supermarkets to supply with food but the supermarkets and shops were empty during the first hours. Immediately, the first idea that came up to my mind was how to aid my people in the camp and provide them with prompt assistance as a result of the severe conditions the Palestinians were living before and during the war were lamentable .80% of them are unemployed or have part time jobs and sometimes seasonal jobs. They earn their livings on day by day basis. So the critical question is how they could manage through this hard situation .On 15-07-06 ,I visited the camp searching for answers to my question .I found out that people have decided to stay in the camp due to lack of any other place they can resort to due to shortage of money and housing .For to leave the camp it will cost them a lot in order to find a place and hire a car especially that they don’t wish to relive the experience of being refugees for the second time .They told me we are already refugees do we need to be refugees again ? Today, 18-07-06 I went again to the camp and god grief I cant really describe that horrific trip .My car was the only moving vehicle Everywhere was in deep silence and destruction .It’s only 4 km from my house to the camp the first half of the way was manageable but as we approached the camp it seemed to me from the first impression as if haunted by ghosts. No one can enter the area as it is extremely dangerous with the bombed airport on one side and the now totally destroyed Shi suburbs on the other. It was a scene of total devastation with all the buildings and roads totally smashed. I was shocked and overwhelmed. There was the smell of death and destruction everywhere.
The moment I entered the camp I felt I was on an island so isolated from the surrounding .I joined the other NGOs and arranged for an emergency meeting with them for a long term plan to aid the camp .We didn’t know where to start from, the needs were so massive and beyond our expectations. It’s true that we have had a long experience during the past war but the situation now is different .For now we have no hierarchal structure in the camp or maybe has almost disappeared .In the past the PLO was in charge and provided people with all the assistance, but now the question is who could carry this burden along with us (NGOs)? Even the NGOs are very tight with funds. All the shelters in the camp are not viable for protection at all .They have not been used since 1987 not even enough medical resources .The women, children and elderly are terrified and trapped after days of sustained brutal bombing of the entire area around our camp. There is no electricity, no fuel for the generators, no medial supplies and we are in urgent need of food and drugs for the children and the elderly.
As a result of our meeting all NGOs and activists have agreed upon the following needs:
• Raising health & medical awareness regarding the situation especially that they are using chemical weapons and bombs and people need to be aware how to deal with such a situation.
• Babies’ and children’s food, mainly milk and diapers.
• Emergency medications: ventoline, for asthma, diabetic tablets, medicine for high blood pressure .
Dressing materials, cardiac medicine, antipyretic, antibiotics, and medicine for diarrhea.
• Candles and matches.
• Drinking water, the camp lacks sources of water (people usually buy the drinking water)
• Detergent and insecticide.
• First aid workers (run courses)
• Gasoline for electricity generators for the hospitals .
• Fire extinguishers
• First aid kits and stretchers.
• Electricity generators to facilitate life and for the work of the NGOs.
Our recent statistics show the following:
• 200 families fled into the camp from the surrounding area(those who lived for a long time ago outside the camp in Hezbollah area )and have no other place to resort to in Beirut.
• 1500 children under 6 years .
• 450 elderly with chronic diseases.
• 20,000 living in the camp.
By the end of the meeting we divided ourselves and took upon our responsibilities different tasks upon which to clean the shelters and mobilize ourselves for emergencies hoping to receive the support and funds on time to be able to provide our people with the urgent supplies and provisions needed. I left the camp praying to god to keep this road safe in order to come back again to our people with the aid and help.
We are facing a humanitarian crisis on an unprecedented scale and we call on the international community to stop Israel’s total destruction of Lebanon and the killing of innocent civilians. We are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and we ask all good people in the world to help us.
Anyhow, a little aid makes difference.
A beam of light gives hope to people in spite darkness.
For donations:
Women’s Humanitarian Organization
Bank of Beirut
Tarik Jdideh
Swift code# BABEL BBE
Account number :11 401 091280 01
For contact:
Women’s Humanitarian Organization
Director
Olfat Mahmoud
Phone no: 00961 3 019 775(mobile)
Tel& fax: 00961 1 840 239
e-mail: palwho@gmail.com
Yours faithfully
Women’s Humanitarian Organization
Director
Olfat Mahmoud
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