Rebuilding Nahr Al Bared Camp

I am pleased to be here today standing with the Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) dedicated staff members, as well as representatives of the residents of Nahr Al Bared camp.  UNRWA and the Government of Lebanon, and their many partners, have committed to rebuilding a new and improved Nahr Al Bared camp and rehabilitating adjacent areas that were destroyed by the fighting last summer, so that the Palestinian refugees and Lebanese civilians whose homes and businesses were destroyed and whose livelihoods were negatively affected can safely return to the place they have called home for decades.

Today, I am pleased to announce that more than half a million dollars of our 2008 contribution to UNRWA will support the immediate construction of a temporary clinic in the “new camp.”  The clinic will provide basic health services to about 600 families.  As the Lebanese Government, UNRWA, and their partners pave the way for a full reconstruction of the camp and surrounding areas, the United States remain committed to ensuring that the critical needs of those affected by the fighting at Nahr Al Bared and surrounding communities are met.

The United States Government remains committed to supporting the strong partnership between UNRWA, the Lebanese Government, and the Palestinian refugee community to help ensure that the needs of affected Palestinian and Lebanese civilians are met until the long process of reconstructing Nahr Al Bared camp is complete.  Last year, the United States Government responded swiftly and generously to UNRWA’s emergency appeals; our contribution to these emergency appeals was $13.5 million out of a total 2007 contribution to UNRWA of over $154 million.  So far this year, the United States Government has contributed $40 million to UNRWA’s General Fund Appeal.

When I met with UNRWA’s Commissioner General Karen Abu Zayd earlier this week, she emphasized the enormous challenges that lie ahead in reconstructing Nahr Al Bared camp.  In fact, she underscored that reconstructing the camp will be the single largest project ever undertaken by UNRWA.  Continued cooperation between UNRWA, the Lebanese Government, the Palestinian refugee community, and donors will be of utmost importance in order to ensure that this massive humanitarian undertaking is successful.

Donors will need to provide significant and sustained support for the forthcoming Nahr Al Bared reconstruction appeal.  The United States is committed to continuing our longstanding partnership with UNRWA in support of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, including those displaced from Nahr Al Bared.  We strongly encourage other donors to support UNRWA’s critical work in Lebanon and throughout the region.

Thank you for hosting me here and thank you for the very warm welcome we received.  Our visit to Tripoli has been memorable experience.