The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) announced today, Friday, the suspension of all its services in the Ein al-Hilweh camp near the city of Sidon in southern Lebanon, in protest against the presence of armed fighters around its schools and other facilities in the area. UNRWA called on the armed groups to vacate its facilities immediately to ensure the delivery of urgent assistance. In a statement, UNRWA stated that this constitutes a "flagrant violation of the inviolability of United Nations buildings under international law, threatening the neutrality of UNRWA facilities and undermining the safety and security of its staff and Palestine refugees." UNRWA emphasized that it will not tolerate "any violation of the inviolability and neutrality of its facilities."
The agency noted that it is unlikely that the schools in the camp would be ready to accommodate 3,200 children at the beginning of the new school year. Clashes erupted last month in the Ein al-Hilweh camp, resulting in fatalities, after armed Islamist militants attempted to assassinate Palestinian Fatah leader Mahmoud Khalil, forcing hundreds to flee.
