Help of the UN

Since the first day of the war on Lebanon, the UNHCR closed its office in face the refugees in Beirut. The refugees kept coming to the closed office every day looking for help from the UNHCR or to find solutions for their problems, and since the UNHCR asked the police to keep the refugees away from the office of UNHCR, so the refugees sit on the opposite side of the street in front of the office, they used the platform. Some of them spent many nights there. The refugees wanted to speak with any one working for the UNHCR to find answer for the most important question: How the UNHCR will help them? Simple question but without answer or maybe the UNHCR doesn't have the answer but finally the UN sent help for the refugees. You can see the help of the UN in these pictures: http://www.unhcr.biz/war/29.htm
Peace upon you.
The truth warrior
Osam Altaee
Beirut 29/July/2006
http://www.unhcr.biz/war http://www.unhcr.info http://www.umacr.org

Shame on the UN

Dear friends,

After nearly 2 weeks of the aggressive war on Lebanon, the refugees didn't receive any help from the UNHCR. The UNHCR announced that it working to provide shelter in public schools for those whom don't have shelter because of the war, and this is the only help the UNHCR able to provide now! The refugees found that announcement very strange because the public schools are open now for any human looking for shelter. I'm personally visited many public schools, public gardens and car parking under ground, which used by displaced people, no one prevented any human from seek shelter in any public place. More on that, many villages in save areas declared that it ready to host displaced people. The government of Lebanon, the red cross, many civil organizations and religious parties are working to provide displaced people with shelters, food, water health care and what they need like mattresses and blankets. So actually the UNHCR wants to move the refugees to public schools where other organizations are working to help the displaced people.
The refugees asking what the UNHCR is exist for? The refugees gathered in front the office of UNHCR in Beirut, trying to bring attention for their plight and looking for chance to ask those whom working for UNHCR an important question: what is their future if the war will took long time? Do the refugees need to live in public school for the rest of their life? Even if the war finish will stop tomorrow, many refugees have no place to go back. The war left many areas with complete damage and wide-scale damage in the fundamental structures.

New photos are here: http://www.unhcr.biz/war/shame.htm

Since the refugees have access to public shelters in Lebanon and since many parties are working now to provide displaced people with their essential needs a big question emerges on every refugee's face in front of the UNHCR: What is my future? The refugees are waiting for the answer. Those whom working for the UNHCR keep themselves behind ironic doors and special Lebanese security forces are protecting them beside 2 private security agencies. What a pity for the refugees, instead support they found police to keep the refugees away from the office of the UNHCR! Why in your opinion the UNHCR needs protection from the refugees?! And who is protecting the refugees?
We're the refugees in Lebanon trying to bring your attention for our situation and the way used by the UNHCR to deal with us during this vital time because of the war. we don't have any chance to ask those whom working for the UNHCR any question now. Please help us by sending message to the UN and the UNHCR with proper way or via these emails: ecu@un.org,inquiries@un.org,Hqpr00@Unhcr.org,tb-petitions@ohchr.org,info@usaforunhcr.org,lebbe@unhcr.org
Peace upon you.
The truth warrior
Osam Altaee
Beirut 25/July/2006
http://www.unhcr.biz/war http://www.unhcr.info/ http://www.umacr.org/

10th day

Iraqi refugees running from the war in southern suburb Beirut

Dear friends,

Today is the 10th day of the war. It's became hard to write every day, I hope you'll forgive me for not contact you individually; I'll try to send you messages when it's possible.

The bombing continues in the south and north of Lebanon in Tripoli and in the east in Baalbak. There were many casualties between the civilians. We expect the war will continue for long time. The only good news came from prisons, the government of Lebanon decided to release illegal migrants from prisons and many of them are refugees. The UNHCR announced that it'd help the refugees whom need shelter by moving them to public places like schools; we heard that UNHCR will take the refugees to Tripoli. We found this very strange because Tripoli is far from Beirut and UNHCR doesn't have any existences their, also Tripoli is under bombing and the way to Tripoli (80 KM) is dangerous because of the bombing. The refugees were not happy of that because now any human is able to enter any public school and live there, we don't need the UNHCR for that. Among the many thousands of the refugees in Lebanon only 41 refugees agreed to go to Tripoli. My friend told me that the UNHCR wanted to get rid of the refugees by sending them to Tripoli! Many refugees still sitting in front of the UNHCR office.

New photos are here: http://www.unhcr.biz/war/10th_day.htm

In the past 2 days my friend who is Iraqi refugee like me, borrowed car from his friend and we helped many refugees to move from the south suburb to garden in Beirut and the UNHCR's office. I also visited refugees in car parking under the ground where hundred of refugees sought shelter there. The life stopped in the southern suburb but the life is normal in Beirut and eastern of Beirut.

I'm sending my thanks to all friends whom send me messages and prayers. I hope I'll have the chance to send you messages.

Peace upon you.
The truth warrior
Osam Altaee
Beirut 22/July/2006
http://www.unhcr.info/ http://www.umacr.org/

7th day

Dear friends,

Today is the 7th day of the war on Lebanon.
I think we get used now on the new situation, the war came suddenly and we didn't prepare any thing. No work now, the life stopped in southern suburb of Beirut. I don't know what will happen if this situation continues for long time, no salaries and the price of every thing specially food and transportation had increased.

Today I went to the UNHCR office with my friend who has motorcycle. Motorcycles became first transportation method because it fast and don't consume much fuel. I found tens of refugees from different nationalities; the majority were Iraqis and Sudanese. The office still closed and the refugees were angry because they didn't receive any help from UNHCR. Unfortunately the UNHCR doesn't have any plans for emergency situations like the current war. The refugees now looking to leave Lebanon but for the moment this isn't possible because Israel bombing the roads that lead to Syria and the airport is closed and the port is open for ships belong to western countries that works to evacuate the foreigner. We hope the UNHCR will prove that it really works to help refugees and find way to evacuate them from Lebanon. Please help the refugees in Lebanon via sending messages to the UN via using these emails and urge the UN to help the refugees in Lebanon: ecu@un.org,inquiries@un.org,Hqpr00@Unhcr.org,tb-petitions@ohchr.org,info@usaforunhcr.org,lebbe@unhcr.org

New photos are here: http://www.unhcr.biz/war/7th_day.htm

Peace upon you.
The truth warrior
Osam Altaee
Beirut 19/July/2006
http://www.unhcr.info/ http://www.umacr.org/

6th day

Dear friends,
Today is the 6th day of the war on Lebanon.

Yesterday I didn't write any thing because of the electricity and because I lost the connection to the Internet, the cut hours became more and I hope we'll have electricity for some hours every day so I can work on my PC and the food in the fridge stay good for eat and also to have water, mostly we use artesian wells drill between houses. I think this is good in current situation because Israelis airplanes attacked water facilities and that caused to stop pumping water in main system, so all we need is electricity to have tap water but unfortunately it not good for drink and I think this will become big problem to have drinkable water if the war stays for long time.

New photos are here: http://www.unhcr.biz/war/6th_day.htm

The night of the 5th day and the day also witnessed the most violent night in the war, the Israelis used special bombs to drop down the building and also they used special missiles that dig in earth to find tunnels or shelters under the ground because the Israelis think the Hiszb Allah leaders are living under the ground. But today and last night was quite except some intermittent bombing every 2 or 3 hours, which enabled some people to find what they need of essential materials like food or fuel.

I'm living now in the camp of Palestinian that located in southern suburb of Beirut, exactly in Burj Albrajineh district, nearly 500 meters from Hhart Hraik where the Israelis are bombing the Hizb Allah's headquarters. The camp is the only inhabitant place in the southern suburb of Beirut and maybe you'll think that why the people of the camp stayed when every one in the surrounded areas left their homes, the answer is simple, because the majority of the camp inhabitant are Palestinian refugees and there're some Iraqi refugees are living there like me and my friends and we don't have another place we can go to if we think to leave the camp. The Lebanese whom living in the areas around the camp have relatives and they left to live with them or they left to live in schools or temporary shelters provided for them by the governments, but we the refugees and specially the Iraqis which compose nearly %90 of the refugees in Lebanon, there are nearly 15000 Iraqi refugees in Lebanon. There are nearly 300,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. The ANRWA is looking for the Palestinian refugees and till today I didn't hear about any emergency plans to help the Palestinian refugees and the same from the UNHCR that looking for the non Palestinian refugees, at any way nothing new, we used to live by ourselves and without any help from the UNHCR, but one thing is painful, why those whom working for the UNHCR got very high salaries when at war time and when we need them, we don't find them. Today I called the office of UNHCR but no one answered me! They're still in their homes!!! Notice the office is located in Beirut in safe area where many embassies are there so there isn't any kind of danger, but it still closed because the workers of UNHCR don't dare to leave their homes!

Toddy and for 2d time I heard in local news that one Iraqi killed because of the bombing in south of Lebanon.

Our big problem is the fears from bombing the camp; the Israelis didn't bomb any camp in Lebanon till now. Our other problems are the shortage in food, water for wash and drink, electricity and finally the garbage. There was company called Sukleen working in Beirut for collect the garbage from houses and move to dumps outside Beirut, now this company stopped since the first day of the war because all the workers are Syrians and they left to Syrian because of the war. People in the camp still throw garbage in the place where they used before the war and now it accumulated and started smell, I think if the war will continue for long time, the garbage will be source for diseases.

The funny thing in this tragedy and suffering is my blind cat, since the first morning of the bombing she became anxious and some time nervous. She started to spend hours under the cooker, she didn't go the re before the war, maybe she thinks it's safer there under the cooker because it has the lower roof in the room and it iron so it'll protect her from the Israelis bombs. LOL, poor cat, she is blind and got mange and now she is afraid from the bombs.
I hope I can publish this message tomorrow. I don't have connection now and also all the net shops in the camp, the shops in the southern suburb are closed is I'll try to go to the eastern Beirut and look for net shop to publish this message.
Peace upon you.
The truth warrior
Osam Altaee
Beirut 17/July/2006

The 4th day

Hello friends,

Today is the 4th day of the war, I’m writing now while the bombs exploding around me. Today I heard that one Iraq died because the bombing in Saida (Sadon) in the vegetable market, many other Iraqis injured. Also some Egyptian workers killed in gas station. Now the earth started shaking under me. The bombing now in middle of Beirut and in the port and Christian areas, which means no one is safe now in Beirut. The situation is unbelievable; the Israelis want to vanish Lebanon from the life with every human being living in Lebanon!!!

I hope I can write another message tomorrow.Pace upon you
The truth warrior
Osam altaee
Lebanon-Beirut

15/July/2006

http://www.unhcr.info/ http://www.umacr.org/

Under bombing

Dear friends,

I'm writing you this message while the Israeli airplanes bombing every where in Lebanon and some meters from my room, it was hard for me to sleep last night because of the bombing, the nearest was nearly 300 meters from my room on the (Almttar bridge) which means in Arabic the airport bridge.(Almttar bridge) which means in Arabic the airport bridge.

I used to go under that bridge nearly every day to by my food from the bazaar in Sabra which is market for poor people and we can find cheap food there. Sabra is very poor area mostly inhabitant by Palestinian, Iraqis refugees and Syrian workers.

I went this morning to see what happened there, I need 5 minutes to reach the bridge walking and I was sorry to see what happened to the bridge and the gardens around the bridge, the bridge is on the ground now and the buildings around it have big damage specially the glass of the window.

Today is the 3d day of the war between Lebanon and Israel. Yesterday morning I went to the office of the UNHCR in Beirut, Verdun and I found that the office is closed and the workers of UNHCR left the office and went to their homes. So now, we're the refugees whom living in Lebanon left alone without any one to look for us. The office is in safe area in middle of Beirut where many of forgone embassies are located and no danger of any kind there, so I felt strange that we don't find the UNHCR when we need them. I heard that in the time of old sailing ships, when a ship sings in the sea, the rats are the first one who leave the ship. I don't know if the community and donors give money for those who are working for the UNHCR to help the refugees at wartime and emergency or to stay at their homes!

One day before the war, one Iraqi refugee was luck to find protection in prison when the Lebanese police arrested him in front of the UNHCR just because he made protest against the UNHCR and he painted the flag of UNHCR on paper and burnt it. He is father for 10 children and received nothing from the UNHCR (like the majority of refugees in Lebanon) since 1998. This is our life.

The Lebanese in south suburb of Beirut left to live with their relatives in safer areas but the refugees don't have another place so we stayed in our rooms hoping the bombs will not come on us because we're protected by the UNHCR!!!!!!!!!!

I hope you all will stay safe till you read my next message and please wish more safely for those whom are working for the UNHCR.
Beirut 14/July/2006
See you soon.
Peace4all
The truth warrior
Osam Altaee
http://www.unhcr.info/ http://www.umacr.org/