ALEF’s “Displacement and Return Monitoring Unit” (DRMU) on the Nahr el- Bared conflict situation resumed on June 28th 2007. As a result of the fighting between members of the militant group Fatah el-Islam and the Lebanese army on May 20th, 2007 , the vast majority of inhabitants of the Nahr el-Bared Palestinian refugee, camp in Northern Lebanon, have fled their homes.

The mandate of the DRMU is to:

  • Monitor the respect of human rights, especially those of vulnerable groups, inside new displacement camps.
  • Monitor the return conditions of the displaced population after the cessation of hostilities in May 2007

The DRMU provided follow-up analysis on different aspects of displacement including:

  1. Safety (inside and outside the camp)
  2. Shelter (Shelters-related issues; rubble; Psycho-social concerns)
  3. Community-involvement and communication among community members
  4. Employment
  5. Funding
  6. Protection of vulnerable groups (Education; Non-ID Palestinians; Tensions between local, host and IDPs communities; Women, disabled persons, elderly persons)

The DRMU relied on findings obtained through second-hand research, field-visits, and attendance of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) “cluster meetings” on specific issues, as well as interviews with relevant stakeholders. ALEF was part of both the protection and shelter clusters established by UNRWA as part of the response.

Link to Report >