Baladi News – Damascus Countryside (Hussam Mohammed)
Inside and outside the camps of the Lebanese town of Arsal, the suffering of over 100 thousand refugees, already living under very difficult circumstances, were aggravated due to the blockade imposed by Hezbollah and the Lebanese Army denying the delivery of foodstuffs to the refugees
A speaker of “Sana” media network in the western Qalamun, Zakaria al-Shami, confirmed to Baladi News that the Lebanese army and Hezbollah militias tightened their blockade on Arsal camps and the surrounding areas with promises by the recently elected mayor of Arsal to try to contact the Lebanese army and Hezbollah to find a compromise regarding the delivery of aid and foodstuff to the citizens.
According to the source, the tight security cordon did not only impact the refugees, but the indigenous people of Arsal too. Most of laborers in the quarries and farms in some areas outside the town stopped working because the Army denies access to them.
Al-Shami highlighted the very difficult living circumstances inside the camps in Ramadan holy month, indicating that most families suffer from a complete shortage of the necessary foodstuff , with “shy” attempts by some charities to help the refugees.
The source warned of a new risk that threatens the refugees. After two years of usage, sewer holes became full and the bad odor spread in all the camps, forming a dangerous source of diseases, especially that summer already begun, and the likeliness of infection increases at this time of the year.
It is noteworthy that Hezbollah burned a refugee camp in Arsal in retaliation for ambushes conducted by Syrian opposition battalions in Qalamun mountain ranges, which caused the death of major leaders, especially relatives of secretary general of the militia, Hassan Nasrallah.
Arsal includes 16 Syrian refugees’ formal camps. As well as 10 slums. Fires were set in 8 camps, which caused partial damages to 7 of them, meanwhile “Qara” camp was completely destroyed.