Shatila refugee camp
Encyclopedia
The Shatila refugee camp (also Chatila refugee camp) is a long-term refugee camp
for Palestinian refugee
s, set up by UNRWA in 1949. The camp is located within the Lebanese
capital Beirut
. As of December 2003, it housed 12,235 registered refugees.http://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/lebanon.html It is most widely known as the site of the Sabra and Shatila massacre
in September 1982, but also played a significant role in the 1982 Lebanon war
and the 1985 to 1987 war of the camps
.
Israel began to leave Beirut shortly after the news of the massacre broke. The protection of the camps was entrusted to Italy
. Following attacks on the peacekeepers, Italy left Lebanon. The safety of the camps was then entrusted to the Amal
militia.
Two subsequent massacres took place at the camps after the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
for Palestinian refugee
Palestinian refugee
Palestinian refugees or Palestine refugees are the people and their descendants, predominantly Palestinian Arabic-speakers, who fled or were expelled from their homes during and after the 1948 Palestine War, within that part of the British Mandate of Palestine, that after that war became the...
s, set up by UNRWA in 1949. The camp is located within the Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
capital Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
. As of December 2003, it housed 12,235 registered refugees.http://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/lebanon.html It is most widely known as the site of the Sabra and Shatila massacre
Sabra and Shatila massacre
The Sabra and Shatila massacre took place in the Sabra and Shatila Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut, Lebanon between September 16 and September 18, 1982, during the Lebanese civil war. Palestinian and Lebanese civilians were massacred in the camps by Christian Lebanese Phalangists while the camp...
in September 1982, but also played a significant role in the 1982 Lebanon war
1982 Lebanon War
The 1982 Lebanon War , , called Operation Peace for Galilee by Israel, and later known in Israel as the Lebanon War and First Lebanon War, began on 6 June 1982, when the Israel Defense Forces invaded southern Lebanon...
and the 1985 to 1987 war of the camps
War of the camps
The War of the Camps was a subconflict within the 1984–89 phase of the Lebanese Civil War, in which Palestinian refugee camps were besieged by the Shi'ite Amal militia....
.
Geography and demographics
The Shatila camp is located in southern Beirut. Originally hosting hundreds of refugees, it has grown to more than 12,000 registered Palestinian refugees. Many of these refugees may live outside the camp, while non-Palestinians also live in the camp. The entire camp comprises approximately one square kilometer and thus has an exceptionally high population density.http://www.ifrc.org/docs/news/02/042901/Public services
UNRWA operates one health center and two primary schools within the camp. NGOs active in the camp include Al-Najda, Beit Atfal Al-Soumoud, Norwegian Peoples' Aid, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and the Association Najdeh.http://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/lebanon/shatila.html http://www.association-najdeh.org/.htmlLebanon War
The Shatila camp housed the offices of the PLO and as a consequence suffered heavy bombardment from Israeli military forces during the summer war of 1982. During a September 1982 push by the Israeli military into west Beirut, the Lebanese Christian Phalangists and the Israeli army conducted a raid on the Sabra neighborhood and the Shatila refugee camp. The attacks resulted in the massacre of an estimated 3500 civilians, primarily women and children.Israel began to leave Beirut shortly after the news of the massacre broke. The protection of the camps was entrusted to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Following attacks on the peacekeepers, Italy left Lebanon. The safety of the camps was then entrusted to the Amal
Amal Movement
Amal Movement is short for the Lebanese Resistance Detachments the acronym for which, in Arabic, is "amal", meaning "hope."Amal was founded in 1975 as the militia wing of the Movement of the Disinherited, a Shi'a political movement founded by Musa...
militia.
Two subsequent massacres took place at the camps after the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.