August 06, 2010 Issue No. 66

Reconstruction:

Finishing works are progressing in Package1 though the manpower necessary for this activity is

still below the required need. The contractor was instructed to appoint more such trades.

UNRWA was informed by the contractor that the laborers’ wages will be paid on the 8th and the

24th of every month. Last week, UNRWA organized a field visit for the factions and Popular

Committee representatives to look at the progress of works and the mock up apartment. Their

feedback on some technical issues will be taken into consideration. Overall their response

was positive.

In Package 2, backfilling works are still ongoing. The contractor has been required to get a permit from the

North Lebanon Authorities to bring in base coarse materials to proceed with backfilling. The process is expected

to take a couple of days. As for schools, contractors are preparing casting the foundations. On the design the

level, the detailed design of Package 3 will be submitted to DGU this week for final approval.

Adjacent Area: The tender for building a surrounding wall for Samed cemetery was issued. The deadline to submit offers is

Monday August 9. Works are planned to be completed before the Eid. The tender for rubble removal and

removing the demolished areas of E Prime (after getting the owners' approval) was opened. The works will start

after a certified form is signed by the homeowners, the NBC CSO and the Popular Committee.

Relief:

On the occasion of the upcoming month of Ramadan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has donated 15 tonnes of

dates to UNRWA for distribution to Palestine refugees living in Lebanon. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had

pledged 25 million USD for the reconstruction of Nahr el Bared camp in North Lebanon. Since July 2010, the

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has chaired UNRWA’s advisory committee. The Kingdom has increased its annual

contribution to UNRWA’s General Fund to 2 million USD as of 2010. Also for Ramadan, the NMU has increased

the amount of electricity to the plots and sectors. Please refer to supplement.

"NLA Services & Camp News"

Siblin Vocational Trainees Graduate in Saida:

On August 6, under the patronage of the director, Salvatore Lombardo, UNRWA's Siblin Training Center

celebrated the graduation of 561 students from trade and vocational courses. About one fifth of the graduating

students are from the North Lebanon Area. In the speech made by the director, Mr. Lombardo, congratulated

the students and emphasized the importance of education as means of progress and development for the

Palestinian community as a whole. The happy event was attended by the students, parents, the popular

committee and dignitaries from the community.

UNRWA WISHES TO EXTEND THE COMMUNITY WARM WISHES FOR THE UPCOMING RAMADAN

Education Summer Learning:

Summer Learning ended on August 5. Funded through the European Union's 15 million Euro project to improve

education for Palestine refugees in Lebanon, Summer Learning provided 4 weeks of catch up classes in Arabic,

English, Maths and Science to 7,000 grade 4-9 UNRWA students who had failed their exams. On the final day,

throughout Lebanon, head teachers and their Summer Learning staff welcomed students and parents to closing

ceremonies in UNRWA schools, to celebrate the completion of this pilot program and distribute certificates to

all participants.

In her speech in the Jenin School ceremony in Beddawi camp, the grade 7 student, Dina Khalili expressed her

gratitude, "On behalf of all students I would like to than UNRWA for organizing the Summer Learning program.

We hope it maintains such programs to strengthen our achievements and to prevent us from dropping out." In

Saida, the Head Teacher, Yasser Khaled, from Salamah School observed that, "It was a really new and overall

successful experience. I hope that it will have achieved the required objectives". Echoing Mr Khaled's statement,

the Nazareth School teacher, Marwa Shriedi, thought that the program was "too short [but that it] was very

important in enhancing the self-confidence and motivation of students. We hope to see all this give fruits next

year." UNRWA would like to the Summer Learning education staff, the students and the parents.

Beddawi News: On July 4, UNRWA's contractor started digging Abu Jameih well in Beddawi to solve the current water shortages

faced by the community in Beddawi. Each of UNRWA and Al Ghawth al-Islami (Islamic Aid) are using temporary

trucks to provide water to the area of the dried well.

NGOs News:

Starting August 4 through August 10, Nabaa Association is running a training session for the Muhajjarine

residents and youth on creating a website for the muhajjarine, writing a newsletter and learning about conflict

resolution tactics. For more information please visit Nabaa Association center in NBC.

This month, the staff of the NGO Beit Atfal Assomoud started giving lectures to different sectors of the adjacent

area on mental health and behavioral habits. Similar lectures on mental and maternal health will be given to

NBC women. Women who are interested to participate can visit the NGO on Wednesdays. Also the NGO will

have a speech therapist available at the center every Saturday. To register or for more information, please visit

Beit Atfal Assomoud in sector B in NBC.

Announcements:

There are 7 trade and instructor vacancies for Siblin Training Center (STC): Go to: http://jobs.unrwa.org if

interested in applying. For students applying to the STC, please note that the application period has been

extended: 1) For registered Palestinian students application; deadline is 09/08/10; 2) for non-registered and

non-IDs Palestinian students; the deadline is 13/08/10

If there are any misprints or inaccurate statements, please go to Camp Information Office and NMU Communication Office

The community newsletter is sponsored through Canada’s generous

contribution to the relief and recovery of the Nahr el Bared refugees.

Press release

Beirut – 04 August 2010

For immediate release

Japanese Government sponsors new material and child health handbook for Palestine Refugees

The Embassy of Japan and UNRWA launched on Wednesday 04 August a new Maternal and Child Health (MCH)

Handbook which will be distributed free-of-charge to Palestine refugee mothers who was pregnant or have

young children across Lebanon. A ceremony held at UNRWA premises in Beirut in the presence of the Japanese

Ambassador to Lebanon, H.E. Koichi Kawakami, the Director of UNRWA Affairs Lebanon, Salvatore Lombardo, as

well as representatives of UNRWA-contracted hospitals and NGOs active in mother and child health care.

Through the Government of Japan's support, UNRWA will be distributing the MCH Handbook to registered

refugee mothers in all 29 UNRWA health centers in Lebanon as part of a project aimed at improving its overall

MCH programme. The project also includes a training programme for health staff on the utilization of the

Handbook and the upgrading of equipment in some health centres.

The Handbook monitors the health status of mothers during the pregnancy, delivery and nursing stages of birth,

and records all medical check-ups, vaccinations and the growth trend of children from birth to the age of 5. The

purpose of the handbook is to provide better harmonization of record-keeping, to standardize MCH care across

all health centres/clinics in UNRWA and the host country. It also aims to raise awareness of the MCH services

available and promote proper pre and post-natal care throughout the Palestine refugee population.

The project began in October 2009 and has a total budget of US$26,750. The international NGO Medical Aid for

Palestinians (MAP-UK) has contributed funds for the printing an additional 10,000 copies of the Handbook to be

printed soon.

The launching ceremony coincides with the visit of two experts from the Japanese International Cooperation

Agency (JICA), which previously sponsored the development and dissemination of MCH Handbooks in the West

Bank. Due to the success of this pilot project, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now funding MCH

projects for Palestine refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.

In addition to its contributions to UNRWA's MCH programme, Japan has also contributed a total of $6,531,257

to UNRWA for Nahr El-Bared relief assistance (Flash Appeal and Emergency Appeal), $450,000 towards the

Camp Improvement Initiative in 2007, and approximately $ 580,000 to the Agency scholarship programme since

2004.

----- End ----

For further information please contact Hoda Samra, UNRWA Public information officer in Lebanon: +961-70-010129 fax:

+961-1-840468 or by e-mail: h.samra@unrwa.org

UNRWA Electricity Supply for the Ramadan Schedule For all 5 plots and sectors in NBC

RAMADAN MUBARAK

EDL cut-off period UNRWA Current Schedule

Ramadan Schedule

Plots 23, 674 , 774, 385 , 755

From To From To From To

6 am 10 am - - -

10 am 2 pm 12pm 2 pm 11am 2pm

2 pm 6pm 4pm 6 pm 2pm 5pm

6pm onwards 6pm 12 am 6pm 12 am

12 am onwards - - 12 am 1:30am

Shohoor 90 mns

Sectors

10am onwards 10am 12pm 10 am 1 pm

6pm 12 am 6pm 12am 6 pm 12 am

Shohoor 90 mns