Refugees to Lebanese prime minister: End military siege of our camp

On 16 January 2009, the cabinet approved a decision to build a naval base in the area. The decision was met with stern opposition by the people of Nahr al-Bared who wrote a letter of protest addressed to Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and his ministers. The letter was published in two major Lebanese newspapers, As-Safir and Al-Akhbar, but has triggered little follow-up reaction in the press so far.

Al-Akhbar's Ghassan Saoud says the people in the camp these days are weary of criticizing the Lebanese army out loud but more convinced than ever that there is no will to rebuild the camp and properly resettle its inhabitants. According to Saoud, people point to four developments that seem to dim any chances of full reconstruction and rehabilitation of the camp: the continued lack of adequate financial funds for reconstruction; the call by most officials with the United Nations agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) for people to "get used to" the contemporary homes currently set up in the camp; the distribution of returned refugees into isolated spots in the camp that prevents the revival of a closely-knit community; and the continued siege of the camp by the Lebanese army that suffocates the prospects of economic revival. The decision to build a base can only exacerbate the last condition. The letter is clear about the detrimental effect of such a siege. The following is a translation of the Arabic-language letter published by Al-Akhbar on Saturday, 24 January 2009:

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