Beirut's blasts to sink Lebanon's Palestine refugees further into despair: UN official

BEIRUT -- A UN official warned on Saturday that the aftermath of the explosions at Port of Beirut will sink the vulnerable communities, especially the Palestinian refugees, further into despair.

"The entire country is shaken by the scale of the damage, and something that we fear will impose further hardship on the already vulnerable communities," said Claudio Cordone, director of affairs in Lebanon of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), in a UNRWA statement.

Palestinian refugees are already among the most vulnerable in Lebanon, many of whom are largely depending on emergency cash aid from the UNRWA to feed their families, Cordone noted.

The huge financial and economic challenges that are sweeping across the country have put a large percentage of the population under the poverty line, the statement warned.

"While the harbor explosion did not have a major physical impact on Palestine refugee camps and UNRWA installations, the overall effect on the country will most likely affect the vulnerable communities most," it said.

Cordone called on the international aid community to include the Palestinian refugees in its emergency response in order to meet their need to buy food and stay safe.