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The Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon, Dorothee Klaus, issued a statement on Thursday, August 17, expressing profound concern over recent reports of the ongoing occupation of UNRWA facilities by armed groups in Ain el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in South Lebanon.
Armed factions operating within the camp have seized control of a school complex managed by UNRWA, including four facilities providing education to approximately 3,200 Palestinian refugee children, Klaus said.
The UNRWA facilities have reportedly sustained serious damage due to recent clashes that erupted in the camp between the Fatah movement and Islamist groups.
“This is a grave violation of the inviolability of UN premises under international law, which compromises the neutrality of UNRWA installations and undermines the safety and security of our staff and Palestine Refugees,” Klaus stated.
She stressed that UNRWA “strongly condemns these acts,” and called upon concerned armed groups to immediately vacate the occupied buildings in order to enable the agency to restore essential services and deliver aid to Palestinian refugees in need.
