Beirut [Lebanon], September 9: As armed clashes broke again at a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon, a UN official on Friday urged rival groups to stop the fighting and withdraw from schools they occupied in the area.
"The continuing clashes in the Ain Al-Helweh Palestinian Refugee Camp, along with the ongoing takeover of eight UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) schools, are preventing the access of nearly 6,000 children who are about to begin their school year," said the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon Imran Riza.
"Education institutions must be safe and neutral spaces, critical for children's learning, well-being, and growth," he said in a statement.
Riza also called for facilitating the work of humanitarian organizations to provide much-needed protection and assistance to families in need in the camp.
The armed clashes broke out in the camp Thursday evening after Islamic militants carried out a surprise attack on the Fatah Movement centers. According to Elnashra news website, over 20 injuries resulted from the armed clashes.
Clashes between rival groups often occur in the Ain Al-Helweh camp, Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp.
Between July 29 and Aug. 3, clashes between the two groups in the camp killed at least 13 people and injured dozens of others.
Source: Xinhua