Lebanon: Ramadan for Palestinians ravaged by war and economic crisis
Ramadan for Palestinians in Lebanon is ravaged by war and economic crisis, according to the National News on May 21st.
Lebanon’s economic crisis has pushed 80% of the population into poverty and has seen its Palestinian refugee population struggle to make ends meet.
Mariam, a Palestinian mother of three, adapts to economic hardship by preparing traditional dishes with flavoured stock rather than expensive meat for Ramadan. A US-based NGO, Anera, provided Mariam’s family with sweets, bringing them some joy despite the circumstances.
Mariam lives in the predominantly Palestinian neighbourhood of Maachouk in the coastal city of Tyre, southern Lebanon.
Just a short distance away from Tyre, Hezbollah and Israel are engaged in a fierce border conflict. In support of Hamas, Hezbollah opened the front against Israel on October 8th. Since then, near-daily fighting has raged with Israel broadening its campaign ever-closer to the city. Tens of thousands of citizens on both sides of the border have been displaced, with the fighting resulting in the killing of 56 Lebanese civilians and 7 Israeli civilians.
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Despite these challenges, Ayman, Mariam’s husband, expresses their fortune compared to the fate of Palestinians in Gaza. This Ramadan is especially hard, with many Palestinians in Lebanon anxious over their loved ones in Gaza under Israeli bombardment.
Approximately 250,000 Palestinian refugees reside in Lebanon, having settled there since the Nakba in 1948. However, Palestinians represent a marginalised group in Lebanese society, living in run-down camps and prevented access to most of Lebanon’s job sectors.
The recent conflict has exacerbated Palestinian refugees’ plight, particularly for those who were employed in agriculture or construction near the now inaccessible border zones. The situation has been exacerbated further following the cutting of funding to UNRWA, a key provider of medical and educational services for Palestinians in Lebanon.
The ongoing economic situation, and wider war, are taking a toll on a community still scarred from past trauma, prompting the charity Anera to focus exclusively on Palestinians in southern Lebanon.
The National News
