Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA in Lebanon

The Palestinian refugees in Lebanon
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon number approximately 422,000, representing an estimated 10 percent of the population of Lebanon. Of these refugees, over 222,000 reside in 12 United Nations-administered refugee camps throughout the country [source: UNRWA, 2009]. The majority of these refugees fled from northern Palestine during the 1948 war with the newly-established State of Israel. The camps have no proper infrastructure, and suffer very high levels of overcrowding, poverty and unemployment. Palestinian refugees in Lebanon have no social and civil rights, very limited access to government-provided public health or educational facilities, and no access to public social services. Palestinian refugees are also prohibited by law from working in more than 70 trades and professions, hence their high levels of unemployment. Consequently, Palestinian refugees remain dependent on United Nations agencies or local non-government organizations to provide services, which remain grossly inadequate for the growing refugee population.

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA in Lebanon
Over the past 25 years, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA's projects in Lebanon have assisted the Palestinian refugee community through skills and vocational training, including an on-the-job training scheme; health services, particularly for the elderly and disabled; a childcare centre, which allows women to work knowing their children are safely cared for; computer and small business training; and a literacy and vocational training program for adults.

Much of Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA's work in Lebanon has been with the Women's Humanitarian Organisation (PWHO), a Palestinian non-government organization based in Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp, Beirut. PWHO was established by Mrs Olfat Mahmoud in 1993, a former Palestinian nurse who had worked with APHEDA's founder, Ms Helen McCue, in the Beirut refugee camps during the Lebanese civil war in the early 1980s. PWHO works in many of the Palestinian refugee camps throughout Lebanon. PWHO's projects provide training and study opportunities for women in a variety of technical and vocational training areas such as: home maintenance, business administration, computing, accounting, knitting, hairdressing, dressmaking, nursing and traditional crafts. Unemployed Palestinian men and women receive skills training in local industries through apprenticeship schemes and vocational courses offered by PWHO. PWHO operates a childcare centre for infant children allowing mothers to work or learn a skill in PWHO classes, as well as an after-school and summer care program for children of primary-school age. To further assist in educational support the Centre maintains a small but important library for children and women seeking study or recreational reading. PWHO is also the only organisation to offer services and medical relief for elderly and disabled refugees in the camps.

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA's recent programming with PWHO has been supporting their early childhood education program (nursery and kindergarten), an educational scholarship program for young women (the "Women to Women Program"), and a medical care program for the elderly and disabled (the "Palestinian Camps Support Campaign").

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA's recent projects in Lebanon

Early Childhood Education

Project funding
Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA has provided over A$700,000 in funding to the PWHO Early Education Centre since 1998. This funding has come from AusAID (Australian Government), as well as from two Australian trade unions - the Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union (CFMEU) and the Liquor, Hospitality & Miscellaneous Workers Union (LHMU). Funding in 2010-11 is A$100,000.

Project background
The education of a child is vitally important to the Palestinian community. This is no less so for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, where children must be literate in both Arabic and English and basic mathematics by the time they are six years old in order to attend the United Nations schools in the refugee camps. The Lebanese authorities or United Nations do not provide early education facilities - all such early education programs for Palestinian refugees are run by non-government community organisations.

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA's long-term partner, the Women's Humanitarian Organisation, has run a successful early childhood centre in Burj el-Barajneh refugee camp, located in south Beirut, for many years. Originating as a nursery in 1993, the Centre now accepts children 0-6 years old and provides a structured early education program which prepares children for their entry to primary school, it provides a much-needed childcare service allowing mothers to maintain their low-paying jobs and support their families, and importantly it provides children with the best start for their education as well as space for children to play within the very limited confines of the refugee camp.

The Centre operates six days per week, has places for more than 120 children each year, and employs 14 Palestinian women, themselves camp residents, as teachers, administrators and support staff.

Project activities
One of the constraints on the Palestinian children in the refugee camps is that the United Nations schools have adopted the Lebanese curriculum, for which all children must be able to read and write in both Arabic and English by the time they start primary school. If students fail their exams twice in succession in a United Nations-funded school they are expelled. Without this initial level of literacy, children face a real possibility of failing and growing up uneducated. Palestinians have traditionally placed a high premium on the education of their children as the one means they have to escape the poverty and humiliation of living as refugees in Lebanon, or under military occupation in the Occupied Territories. For their children to grow up with no chance of an education is a catastrophe.

The Early Education Centre is held in high regard by the United Nations Relief & Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). They have informed the Women's Humanitarian Organisation that the children graduating from their centre are the best students in UNRWA Kindergartens. Regardless of their ages, all children at the camp's Early Education Centre have a structured program for the day. For example, five year olds start with exercise, followed by ethics, music, painting, games, English, Arabic and maths.

The curriculum includes posters, tapes, books and teaching notes, which are produced by the Lebanese government. Lesson plans are done in advance and monitored by the Director. To assist the mothers in the camp who have been able to find menial and low-paid employment outside the camp, the Early Education Centre opens before 7.00am and closes after 3.00pm.

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA has been assisting the Early Education Centre in the Burj el-Barajneh refugee camp in Lebanon since 1998. The dedication of PWHO staff and the important work that the Centre does in providing both young children the opportunity for a successful start to their education, and their mothers an opportunity to work knowing that their children are cared for and educated, means that this is a project that Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA is particularly proud to support.

Children's Mobile Activity Centre 2008-2009

This project sought to address the psycho-social and developmental needs of Palestinian children exposed to trauma during the July 2006 Israeli war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the May 2007 fighting in Nahr Al Bared refugee camp in northern Lebanon. The activities took place mainly in the refugee camps in the south of Beirut city, but also toured the northern and southern refugee camps in Lebanon throughout the year when it was safe. The project sought to address the trauma needs of 19,000 children through painting, acting, singing and dancing. It also sought to increase the children's awareness about their rights, tolerance, peace, conflict resolution, participation, helping and accepting others, using puppetry and clown shows, as well as printed material.

Our partner, WHO, reported that the project was successful largely because it included children in the process of consulting and planning activities most interesting to them. The children particularly enjoyed the painting and drawing activities, and were especially proud to see their work displayed in a community exhibition. The art therapy activities (acting, singing, dancing, playing music, puppetry and clown shows) were greatly enjoyed. WHO reports that these activities increased children's self esteem and sense of responsibility, and the children were proud of themselves when their families and communities came to see their shows. Other activities involving the children in writing messages on a display board also helped them to speak out about their worries and concerns. The project also conducted peer support groups.

Of particular note during this project was the Israeli invasion of Gaza in December 2008/January 2009, which impacted enormously on Palestinians in the camps throughout Lebanon, heightening their stress and anxiety as images of the destruction of Gaza appeared constantly on television and in newspapers. Thus activities for the children during this period revolved around the issues of war and peace, allowing the children creative outlets, such as drawing and painting, to express their opinions, worries and fears.

The project was funded by a grant from Refugees International Japan (RIJ).

Legal Literacy Program for Women 2008-2009

In March 2008, the Women's Humanitarian Organisation (WHO) submitted a proposal for a project that would provide a basic system of legal support to women living in the Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut area. From its community donations, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA funded this program with A$17,000.

The project employed a legal trainer to provide legal training to 24 social workers from Burj al-Barajneh, Shatila and Mar Elias refugee camps. The training covered the basic laws affecting Palestinians in Lebanon, with an emphasis on women's legal rights. The laws were examined from various social, cultural and religious perspectives. Approximately two workshops per month were held, where topics included: women through history; women in Islam; gender and equality; violence against women; laws and agreements affecting women - such as Lebanon's Personal Status Law and the international Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); counselling skills; women's rights under Shari'a law (Islamic law).

The participants reported enjoying their training and the opportunity to enrich their skills. They were particularly pleased with the information and resources provided on legal systems and Shari'a law, as well as the counselling skills which they said would greatly assist their women with local women. WHO reported that the women showed increased confidence and good listening skills during their practical training. The participants came from seven local community organizations: Al Inaash Association, Baraem Al-Aksa Association, Al-Sumoud Organisation, Ghasan Kanafani Association, Women's Activity Centre, Palestinian Women's Union, Women's Humanitarian Organisation.

Lebanon Emergency Appeal, July 2006

Israel called its war on Lebanon in July 2006 "Operation Just Reward". Large areas of south Beirut and southern Lebanon were destroyed, with over 1000 people killed in Lebanon and less than 200 killed in Israel.

In July, Olfat Mahmoud, the Director of the Women's Humanitarian Organisation, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA's partner organisation in Beirut, described the situation on the ground:

"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. No one can enter the area as it is extremely dangerous with the bombed airport on one side and the now totally destroyed Shi'ia 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. I have lived through all the wars in Lebanon since 1960 and this is the most horrific scene I have ever witnessed," she said.

Report on appeal funding
Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA's Emergency Appeal for Lebanon raised approximately A$46,000. This funding was directed to support the work of three community organisations on the ground in Lebanon.

Women's Humanitarian Organisation (WHO)
Our local partner, the Women's Humanitarian Organisation, received A$31,575 to assist their efforts in providing emergency food parcels and medical relief to those affected by the conflict. Project activities included: 2400 families provided with food packages; 36 youngsters trained in first aid; 360 displaced families provided with hygiene kits; medication purchased for 237 people with chronic diseases; operated 3 play centres for children; establish 6 temporary emergency relief centres; provided training and support to volunteers working through the crisis.

National Federation of Lebanese Trade Unions (FENASOL)
Responding to an urgent appeal from the National Federation of Lebanese Trade Unions (FENASOL), A$11,000 was forwarded to assist FENASOL's work providing emergency food parcels, medical relief and school supplies for families in the conflict areas in the south of Lebanon and in the hardest hit southern suburbs of Beirut.

Emergency food packages were distributed to 130 families, each containing basic food items such as sugar, rice, tea, milk, cheese, candles and cooking oil. Hekmat el-Ameen Hospital in Nabatiya was supported with US$2000 in medical assistance. School supplies for 100 students were also provided, containing a school bag, notebooks and stationery supplies.

A kind thank you to the Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union (CFMEU) New South Wales Branch, Bankstown City Council and Holroyd City Council, who donated these funds.

Al-Huda Society for Social Care
The staff of the Australian Finance Sector Union (FSU) raised funds for Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA to send to the Al-Huda Society for Social Care, a secular Lebanese community organisation located in Beirut, to assist their relief efforts.

An estimated one million people were displaced throughout Lebanon by the Israeli attacks. Along with other international donations, the Al-Huda Society managed to reach around 13,000 displaced people in Beirut, Tripoli, Saida, the Beqaa Valley, and other villages in south Lebanon such as Aytarun, Marun il Ras, Teereh, Kafra, Srobbine, Rchaf, Beit Lif and Aita Shaab. They were able to maintain a steady supply of food packages, health and sanitary kits, as well as educational material and activities for children during the height of the conflict.

Al-Huda coordinated their work with other local organisations and, following the ceasefire in August 2006, led two truckloads of food packages and water to previously inaccessible villages in southern Lebanon. A combination of paid staff, over 100 volunteer staff and some displaced refugees themselves assisted these efforts.

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© Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA 2003.

Last Modified: Monday, 24-Jan-2011 18:52:45 EST
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