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Wavel camp is located in the Beqaa Valley, near Baalbek. Originally a French army barracks, the camp hosts more than 8,000 refugees. French authorities provided shelter to the refugees in 1948 in the original twelve buildings. Although the camp has suffered less destruction than other camps during the war in Lebanon, living conditions are particularly severe. Housing conditions in the camp are unhealthy as most shelters, situated in the former army barracks lack daylight and ventilation. Poverty combined with difficult living conditions results in a number of social problems. Students often drop out of school in order to support their families. The Beqaa Valley is a remote rural area with severe winter weather conditions. Palestine refugees are only able to find seasonal work in agriculture and construction. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon live in overcrowded refugee camps, struggling to fulfil basic human needs. They do not have the right to work in dozens of professions or to receive social security. They do not have the right to own or inherit property. Life inside the camps is harsh. Additional rooms have been added to existing buildings, often to the detriment of the narrow alleyways between them, often blocking the sun. The sight of sewage waters in the streets of the camp is commonplace. Related Links
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