The Lebanese Minister of Energy and Water, Walid Fayad, hinted at the possibility of cutting off electricity to Palestinian and Syrian refugee camps in case of non-payment of electricity consumption costs. The minister emphasized the need for refugees to pay the costs of electricity consumption, noting that the Lebanese are not required to cover the cost of electricity consumption by Palestinians in their lands, and called on each party to cover the cost of its own consumption.
In response to a question regarding the agreement of the United Nations and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to cover the cost, Fayad stated that they "expressed their willingness to address this issue and seek solutions. We are still positive so far and are looking to find a solution to pay the bills. At the end of the day, we will not be able to provide electricity if the cost is not covered," he added.
Lebanon Asks UN for Aid To 'Keep the Lights On' in Refugee Camps - The Media Line https://t.co/SCsdVmhOXP
ā Lorrona Nicholson (@nic86472) June 14, 2023
He explained, after a meeting with the interim Prime Minister, Najib Azmi Mikati, which was devoted to discussing the issue of electricity in the Palestinian refugee camps and in the places where the Syrian refugees gather, that during the meeting it was agreed "there will be two technical committees, the first of which will deal with the issue of the Syrian camps paying the payments there, and the second committee deals with the issue of Palestinian refugees.ā
The debt in electricity and water bill owed by UNRWA to the Lebanese government comes as a strike by the UNRWA refugee agency workers has been going on for more than 120 days in all designated refugee camps in Judea and Samaria; none of the strikers' demands have yet been met. As a result, 45,000 students have had to miss an entire semester of school, and about 800,000 refugees are not receiving medical services in the clinics in the refugee camps, along with welfare services and the removal of garbage which has also come to a halt. UNRWA has been supplying services to the Palestinian refugee camps due to a lack of governing and policy on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.
#ECONOMYšµ
ā This is Beirut (@ThisIsBeirut_) June 13, 2023
Caretaker Energy Minister #WalidFayad expressed concern regarding the non-payment of #electricity bills by #Syrians and #Palestinian refugees, as he stated that Lebanon and its #citizens cannot continue to bear this burden.
By Christiane Tagerhttps://t.co/QisBtOR4rf
In recent years, some countries donating to UNRWA have cut their support to the organization significantly. President Donald Trump completely stopped US support to UNRWA, but President Biden restored it immediately after entering office.
