Opportunities for Palestinian refugees needed badly, says Welfare Association
27 May 2010
The Daily Star - lack of opportunities for Palestinian refugees, especially Palestinian youth, is the greatest problem facing those living in the camps, Welfare Association general director 'Ata Allah Kuttab told The Daily Star in Hamra Wednesday.
Kuttab was speaking at a news conference where the prize for the Achievement Award for Activities 2009 was given to the Palestinian Arab Women League.
The annual Achievement Award is a prize that "aims to seek, recognize and promote individual Palestinian excellence in the fields of science and technology, culture, education and business … and showcase Palestinian excellence and talent existing all over the globe," and is available to Palestinian NGOs that do not exceed a total annual budget of $1.5 million.
In an interview with The Daily, Kuttab said he felt more work could be done to encourage opportunities for Palestinian children, especially in education.
"We need to not only encourage the development of the education system but to encourage good education," said Kuttab. "Providing good opportunities now is actually an investment for future Palestinian generations."
According to Wafa Yassir, a member of the administrative board for the Welfare Association in Lebanon, it is just not that simple.
"Most of the children [in the camps] are in fact going to UNRWA-run schools, but the problem is the dropout rates" she told The Daily Star. "The schools are overcrowded, they don't have recreational activities, they don't have computers and if [a child] fails two consecutive years he/she is expelled."
Yassir attributes the main problem to UNRWA policy, but also added that the agency is undergoing internal meetings that are trying to isolate the reasons for this problem and find applicable solutions.
"If you dismiss a child, you should send them to an alternative vocational center," she said. "You should give them an alternative and you should find out the background reasons. [For example] why is [the child] failing? There is a lack of guidance for these children when they leave school … They have nothing to do when they leave school - and this is the problem."
There are around 400,000 Palestinian refugees currently living in Lebanon and although there are no specific laws regarding the employment of Palestinian refugees, it is still a legal requirement for Palestinians to obtain a work visa - something many find difficult to afford.
Kuttab feels this should change. "We need to create job opportunities … we work hard in partnership with local businesses to create work for the Palestinians," he said, and when questioned whether Lebanese workers were given preferential treatment over Palestinians regarding job opportunities, he said that "employers will always opt for quality … with or without a work permit."
It is still illegal for Palestinian refugees to own businesses. It is also illegal for Palestinians to own or inherit land and properties, a policy that many find discriminatory and therefore illegal under international law.
"If we give some Palestinians their rights, some think they will eventually be nationalized," said Yassir. "[But] it is according to all the international conventions [that] this right should be given to the refugees … [they] have been living here for 62 years."
The Welfare Association is a private, non-profit UK-based foundation that describes in its mission statement its "dedication … toward furthering the progress of the Palestinian people." It works primarily in the development of three main areas - education, cultural activity and the economic conditions of Palestinian refugees.
