Emergency humanitarian assistance is needed for approximately 31.000 Palestinian refugees living under severe conditions in the Nahr el Bared camp, located in Northern Lebanon.

In this context, Mr. Peter Ford, Special Representative to the General Commissioner of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), during his visit to Turkey on 26-29 August 2007, has made an appeal for emergency humanitarian assistance for the said camp. UNRWA made a further official appeal for 30 million USD on 10 September 2007. In the meantime, Mr. Fuad Siniora, Prime Minister of Lebanon sent a letter to our Prime Minister requesting emergency humanitarian assistance.

In response to these appeals, Turkey has decided to send in-kind assistance to Nahr el Bared camp. The preparations for the dispatch of urgent food aid by the Prime Ministry Directorate-General for Emergency Management of Turkey have been completed.

To this end, 500 tonnes of various food products worth of 1.341.000 YTL (approx. 1.117.500 USD) are being transported to the camp by 25 trucks. Five trucks, making up the first consignment have left Cilvegözü Customs on 5 October 2007. The rest of the consignments will go on in the upcoming days.

Turkish assistance to Nahe el Bared refugee camp will continue with various projects, such as building of a health clinic and a school.