The Rashidiyeh refugee camp for Palestinian refugees is located outside Tyre in South Lebanon. It currently has a population of about 27 000. March 12 Ambassador Aud Lise Norheim visited the camp together with the director of UNICEF Lebanon, Ray Virgilio Torres, to have a look at projects initiated and supported by UNICEF in the camp. Some of the projects UNICEF is involved in, is also supported by Norwegian organisations such as NORWAC and Norwegian People’s Aid.
UNICEF, in cooperation with the community and other organisations, runs several establishments to help the refugees cope with a difficult everyday life. One of the projects visitied was a micro finance programme, providing all kinds of small businesses with loans for initial investments in equipment and sales articles. As is experienced in most micro finance programmes around the world, the great majority of borrowers in this programme in Rashidiyeh, are women
In the UNICEF-supported Khalil Al Wazir Center for rehabilitation, disabled children are being given education and care. UNICEF also supports a school for potential drop-outs from ordinary schools.