I was going to volunteer with Olfat after this summer. She runs an NGO called the Women's Humanitarian Organization in the Bourj al Bourajne Palestinian refugee camp. There are 16 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, 4 of them are in Beirut. The conditions are always bad, but the War made things dismal. This is a letter she sent out last week. She entitled it "Waiting to Die."
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Black Death, that’s how the future seems to everyone afflicted by war, an unpredictable future and the only wish they have is to die today before tomorrow for the horrific terrorism practiced upon the innocent civilians.
The health situation is not cheerful. Everyday the situation worsens and people have become obsessed with the idea that they are going to die if not from bombardment then from diseases. Here comes our role as an NGO, we are exhorting all our efforts to provide the needed with the medicine and healthy treatment. As a director of Women’s Humanitarian Organization (WHO) I would like to highlight on the health programs held in our NGO and focus on the current critical health situation.
Our health program consists of major topics dealt with among the women by raising health awareness and guiding them with the right hygiene.
Such issues dealt with are: health education for women, breast feeding, breast cancer, child diarrhea, age care. In addition to, elderly care mainly for chronic diseases.
The effect of war on health has been prominently observed since the beginning of war in July 12.Borj El Barajneh camp is a significant example, it is home to about 20,000 Palestinians the camp is located near the airport and in the southern suburb of Beirut precisely in Hezbollah area where the air strikes targeted aimlessly everywhere. The camp has mainly four entrances that are subjected to air strikes. Life is almost paralyzed; people are panic stricken and are striving to stay alive with the help of the NGOs who are making use of every simple means for the sake of the residence of the camp and the surrounding. This all has affected the health cycle of the residence and the displaced who sought shelter in the camp.
Here is a close insight to the life in the camp and how people deal with war after a long term of peace penetrated recently with the dramatic sounds of the shelling and bombing.
In the camp, houses are shabby and worn out buildings with weak infra structure. The buildings have been destroyed several times and rebuilt on the same ruins with no strong architectural design.
People live in small houses maximum of three small rooms, one shared toilet with a shower. In normal days the rooms are overcrowded. After al Nakba 1948 Palestine refugees lived in tents then by time they were able to build shabby and unorganized houses they never thought that they will stay in the camps all that time for 58 years. By the growing number of people in the camp, the only way to expand was to go up so the camp consists of 3 stores buildings in very unorganized way. In this latest war, people who lived in the upper floors moved to the down floors for safety. So, the number of people has grown to 20 persons per room (3 m²).
In such circumstances, and speaking health wise the usage of toilet by more than one family causes unhygienic environment. people are aware of this problem but have no other choice so they have reduced the amount of food and intake of water to lessens the usage of toilets which creates health problem such as mal nutrition, dehydration ect….
Other problems aroused in such cases are shortage of water because it is usually pumped and due to the continuous cut off electricity pumping water has become impossible. Also, a small chance is given to every member to clean up or take a daily shower in this hot sweaty summer which causes lice as well as skin problems which is another aspect of the negative impact of war on people, rush, friction and scabies are shown.
On the top of all of that most of the women are covered but since they live in shared houses they have no privacy and are unable to expose their hair to the sun and dry wind especially after shower that will result of humidity on the head and cause headaches, cold and bad hair smell.
On the other hand, it’s very important to mention the kinds of lethal weapons Israeli is using. Israel is using internationally banned weapons, illegal bombs that cause allergy and asthma even for ordinary persons which by time will affect the respiratory system and reports show that these kinds of bombs cause cancer. Lebanon is a field of trial for Israeli weapons.
Now days, there is a shortage of food, so people with chronic disease especially the elderly it seems impossible for them to follow special diet which affect their health and increase the risk of having serious complications regarding their illnesses. The lack of fresh vegetables and fruits deteriorates and worsens the situation.
On the other side, some negative psychological problems have been critically observed ever since war has started among the children and other standards of the society.
So far, children have suffered of wet beds, nightmares, eating nails, frozen in the corner and sucking thumbs. They also spend most of their times stuck to their mothers, they also get uptight quickly and nervous along with hysteric cries. Those kids expected to have a joyful summer for they have just finished school and its only time to have fun in the camp that is now been disrupted by war. They are now imprisoned inside their own world or fear and terror.
They keep on asking questions on what would happen? Where to go? Many questions with no definite answers. The only word that describes the whole situation which is reflected on their pale face is WHEN IS DEATH GOING TO PASS BY?
7 comments:
Just out of curiosity, I've always wondered why other Arab countries (particularly Lebanon and Jordan) seemed so hesitant to absorb the refugees into their countries. Is the life in the camps - which sounds pretty awful - really worth the vague hope of repatriation into a land in which many of the "refugees" have never set foot?
Where on earth did you get this?? The voice of Nonie Darwish.
So now we're resorting back to Islam makes people violent and Arabs are all primitive savages???
Come on. What is this from?? Where's your source?
Wow, Wally, thanks for the condescending sarcasm about using Google. I don't see how that is necessary.
So Ms. Darwish is an interesting person, makes a lot of money going around affirming what the average American would like to hear. Runs a site called "Arabs for Jews". What a wonderful tool to fight the War on Terrorism.
Maybe Wally isn't sarcastic, maybe he's just old and belongs to a generation that talked and possibly thought differently than what people today are used to: default biting cynicism and condescension.
I'd venture there are some Arabs who want peace and mutual respect with Israelis and who don't see their governments' tactics as particularly helpful to that end.
SHE IS A BIG LIAR , AND THIEFT MOST OF THE DONATIONS PRESENTED FOR PALESTINIAN REFUGEES , OLFAT IS KNOWN IN THE CAMP VERY WELL , BUT BECAUSE YOU ARE FOREIGNER AND HUMINATRIAN YOU USED TO BELIEVE HERE. MY MOTHER IS OLD , SHE HAS MAY BE AT LEAST 10 KIND OF DISEASE ( DIABTIC, BLOOD PRESSURE , EYES WEAKNESS , HEART , KIDNEYS , POOR BLOOD ETC ETC ) AND FEW DAYS AGO WE CUT HER LEFT LEG DUE TO GHARGHARINA, WE NEVER SAW OLFAT BEFORE AND WE WILL NEVER SEE HER LATER ,
I am respond to Hassan's post:
I visited Beirut in 2006 and had the honor of meeting Olfat Mahmoud.
Instead of blaming Mrs. Mahmoud for the amputation of your mother's leg, you should be addressing this concern with the Lebanese government, Palestinian authorities, and the UNRWA that is providing the minimal health care for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
Do you know that Mrs. Mahmoud's father died after he had both his legs amputated in 2002? I am positive that if Mrs. Mahmoud was a thief as you claim based on your anger, she would've had enough funds to rescue her own father!
Please don't judge individuals that are doing their best to provide the aid to their people! Don't let your anger produce hatred, because that's what will get a nation into more trouble.
I am deeply sorry about your mother. Perhaps, health concerns should be addressed with your Palestinian authority mainly that has forgotten about the refugees, specially after the Oslo agreement in the early 1990s.
Much appreciated
Bourj El Barajneh camp has a population of over 20,000 people. Logically, one organization will not be able to provide the necessary aid for all the population of the camp.
I have personally seen how WHO, directed by Olfat Mahmoud, never rejects providing help if approached. *Within the capacity they can.
On top of the aforementioned, Women's Humanitarian Organization is a development organization and not a relief NGO with exceptions for durations of war and conflict. Therefore, WHO provides Health and Education Program, Nursing procedure and other projects that benefit the palestinian community's development in general.
I am truly sorry for what happened to your mother. Perhaps you should be discussing the dietary habits of people in camps; the over excess of sugar usage is a main factor for diabetes. Also, stress plays a very crucial role. Therefore, you can not be blaming an NGO for that.
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