Promoting an anti-drug Intifada
Drug dealing in the 12 Palestinian camps and 46 Gatherings targeting children could be largely removed as part of focusing on the whole of the camp problems, economic, social, educational, relating to healthcare, infrastructure and political. For this, a Palestinian camps Anti-Drug "Intifada" is needed - as invoked by an increasing number of camp leaders.
To encourage pride in the camps and improve the quality of camp life, both of which fortify resistance by children to drug dealers, much overdue infrastructure work needs to be done by camp residents and their supporters. UN agencies, NGOs, Lebanese Ministries, and foreign donors need to achieve without further procrastination the following life-improving projects, all of which are urgently needed by children and their families in all Palestinian camps and gatherings in Lebanon. Proposed remedies include:
The urgent rehabilitation of hundreds of houses that are in very poor condition,
Major revamping and improvement of camp infrastructures such as electricity, portable water supply facilities, sewage networks, provisions of closed garbage containers and the establishment of garbage disposal systems,
The cooperation of the Lebanese authorities to stop blocking building materials into the camps so that repairs may be made without paying exorbitant bribes,
The launching of camp-wide initiatives designed for improving health, education, social services and recreational opportunities for children and youth. In the case of Burj el- Barajneh Palestinian camp in South Beirut, a research study conducted by Jihad Makhoul, and Yara Jarallah concluded: "If the quality of education offered to Palestinian refugees, and employment and ownership restrictions remain as they are, adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19 will increasing resort to the coping mechanism of drug abuse that many young men in the camp already suffer from today."
The establishment of a large scale camp Movement, fuelled by global friends of Palestine and manned locally by international supporters, many no doubt seasoned, tempered from their previous human rights work and much valued by the expanding cause of Justice for Palestine. The proposal is that they will come to Beirut and lead a focused hygiene campaign in every camp, which will include setting up health clinics.
It would be a great asset if Me'decins Sans Frontià ¨res (MSF),
also known as Doctors Without Borders, which currently operate and fund 13
medical facilities in Lebanon, much of their
work being with Palestinian refugees, expand its Nobel Prize-winning humanitarian
participation. MSF should consider
adding child drug addiction to its work, coordinating with Palestinian Camp
Political and Social Committees as well as Palestinian women's organization who
urgently want to eradicate child drug addiction in the camps and gatherings.
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