Sabra-Shatila Refugee Camp

There are 4 million people living in Lebanon out of which over 400 thousand are Palestinian refugees. Half of them live in 12 refugee camps all over the country. Palestinians in Lebanon are deprived of some most basic rights. 

Sabra-Shatila refugee camp is known worldwide mainly because of massacre of it's residents, that took place in 1982. Christian Lebanese Phalangists killed almost 700-800 Palestinian and Lebanese civilians while the camp was surrounded by Israel Defense Force.

"Main" street in Sabra-Shatila refugee camp

Tourist with a camera is a very uncommon view in this place. Though whole Lebanon is rather curious of tourists and one can feel very safe there, going to a refugee camp is something completely different. It's not a matter of Palestinian people being unfriendly, quite the contrary - they are very helpful. It's simply a matter of being a suspiciously looking tourist with a camera. Simple as that.

My "guide"

I was asked what is the reason of my visit to the camp. When I explained that I wanted to see the camp where the massacre took place I was welcomed warmly and have been guided around by this great guy above.

My friend and his best friend

Coffee and sheesha shop

Owner of the place

Obviously I had to drink very sweet, black coffee, which I absolutely hate. I strolled around for almost two hours. My friend introduced me to his family, shown me the school, places where children spend their free time, shops (or rather shouq, though there are also shops in European understanding of the word "shop") and some other facilities.

Cassettes can be found everywhere in Lebanon, not only in refugee camps

They really like american TV ;-)
We were watching wrestlemania.

I saw border between terrains of Palestinian Liberation Organization and Hesbollah, which was really fascinating. There were no armed man, simply one had to know, which side of the street is under which flag. Both organizations fight - more or less - for the same cause, so they're not fighting each other. At least Palestinian people say so.

"Main" street - different view

Unfortunately I was told, that neither Hesbollah nor PLO like people with big cameras and even bigger lenses, so I couldn't make too many photos.

Palestinian refugee camps are like a country within a country. They have their own schools, they own armed forces, they own poverty, yet they depend on Lebanese politicians. The only thing they actually do want to have, is their own land. This, is what they don't have.