Inside a Palestinian refugee camp More than 350,000 people, mostly from North Palestine, live in 12 refugee camps in Lebanon (SUPPLIED) One of these camps is Mieh Mieh, located on a hilltop facing the Mediterranean. Its residents are barred from employment in Lebanese institutions under the country’s laws (SUPPLIED) From fewer than 2,000 people, Mieh Mieh now has more 5,000 Palestinians, crammed in an area of about three square kilometres (SUPPLIED) “Many of us still have the key of our homes in Palestine," says Abu Al Hassan, 80. "We waited for the UN to fulfill its promise and we are still waiting…its nearly 62 years now." But poverty has not prevented these people from struggling to create decent lives for their children, even building houses for them (SUPPLIED) Inside the camp, everyday events such as weddings and engagements, must continue as normal (SUPPLIED) “We have to live our lives here and help our children as our parents had helped us,” says Mahmoud Shehadi, another Mieh Mieh refugee. What adds to their misery is the feeling of living in an open prison as the entire camp is beleaguered by Lebanese troops, barricaded at the village’s entrances where all who enter or leave are checked (SUPPLIED). The ban on jobs for Palestinians in Lebanon has prompted many of them to migrate to the Gulf or Western countries while some find work at Palestinian institutions operating in Lebanon (SUPPLIED). For these children running around Mieh Mieh, a life in refugee camps is all they have ever known (SUPPLIED) Fayez Kawash, second from the left, left his Palestinian village at the age of five. "We must not let despair overcome us because this will kill our dream for returning home," he says. Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Whats App Pin Interest