Nahr El Bared (Tripoli)

It has now been a month that I am in Lebanon, working on this small scale Emergency project. Its been a month, and yet, the real action has not started. The Palestinian refugee camp is still being shuttered by heavy mortars and gunfire. It has become a routine to hear the permanent "BOUUMM" from the place where I stay. The unfortunate people of this camp had to move to another camp near by called Beddawi. As a result, this camp is now overcrowded with double the people it would usually take. The refugees, have been living in the camps for generation, and seeing their 2Km square territory is extremely painful. The other day, I was with one of the refugee from Nahr El Bared camp, we were driving along, and were in a location where you can actually peacefully watch the mortars blowing building into dust. As we were watching this, I discovered he had his house there, which he had just morgaged for. He explained to me that his house was reduced to none, and that is futur was worst than is present! Not only that now he lived in some other famillies places, but also, he has to prepare for the return to the ruins of his ex-house, and ensure he keep working as usual to pay back the morgage he had taken to buy a very modest house, such as they are in the refugee camps. All in all, he will receive a thousand dollars to compansate his faith, and the rest is entirely up to him. Basically having a family with kids and no house to live in, is already sad, but on top having to p[ay a morgage for a house that has been destroyed by the army is even worst..... I still dont know what I could have said to this so strong and unfortunate man.