Gunfire rains over the heads of thousands of refugees in northern Lebanon. Explosives litter the streets and heavy weapons and artillery have left giant holes in the walls of abandoned homes.

A month of fighting at Naher el-Bared refugee camp has sent some 30,000 Palestinian refugees scrambling to escape the violence that continues to escalate.

"We are talking about an overcrowded, impoverished settlement where more than one-third of the refugees are children," says Ruba Khoury, World Vision's project manager for Lebanon.

Clashes broke out in mid-May when a group of renegade militants barricaded themselves inside the camp near the city of Tripoli. For nearly a month, the militants and Lebanese army have traded bullets and shells as fighting intensifies. At least 100 people have been killed in the violence.

The United Nations estimates some 4,000 refugees remain inside the camp.

Palestinian Refugees
For generations, hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees have lived in camps such as Naher el-Bared in Lebanon.

During the 1948 Arab-Isreali conflict, Palestinians who lived in the area that became Israel fled or were driven out. Some took refuge in the West Bank and Gaza, while others fled to the countries that surround Israel. Nearly 60 years later, 400,000 Palestinian refugees and their descendants remain in Lebanese camps.

"Naher el-Bared camp looks like another country from the rest of Lebanon," Khoury describes. "Children don't have a very promising future to look forward to. World Vision is trying to change that with innovative programs and training."

World Vision Responds
Nearly 25,000 refugees have fled to Beddawi, a nearby camp where they share cramped quarters with friends and family and have crammed into overcrowded, rundown schools.

More than 200 pregnant women are among the displaced and many newborns are sleeping on school floors.

In response, World Vision is distributing cribs and baby clothes to women nearing their delivery date. Already, World Vision staff distributed 4,500 baby hygiene kits, containing diapers, disinfectant and other critical items.

"We can't live like this—I have a newborn and three small children," says Maysaz Moughamis, one of the mothers who received a hygiene kit from World Vision. "I need this aid, but all I want to do is go back home."

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