Palestinian Refugee from Syria Shoots Himself Dead in Burj Shamali Camp

A Palestinian refugee who escaped the ongoing civil war in Syria and took refuge in Lebanon committed suicide on Saturday in Burj al-Shamali camp in the southern city of Tyre.

"Palestinian national Z.M. Qoraishi shot himself dead on Saturday evening,” the state-run National News Agency reported.

The NNA detailed on the incident: “Qoraishi, who escaped the Khan al-Sheikh camp in Syria and took refuge in al-Burj al-Shamali, visited a Palestinian faction office in the Tyre camp and took the gun of the center's guard.”

He then shot himself and died on the spot, said the same source, adding that his body was transferred to Hiram Hospital in the southern city.

Saturday's incident is the second of its kind, as in January 2013, a Syrian refugee hanged himself for being desperate and unable to provide for his wife and four daughters.

The former resident of the Yarmuk Palestinian refugee camp in south Damascus, Mohammed Melsi, 35, was one of thousands of people who fled the Syrian capital for what was supposed to be a safe haven in Lebanon.

Syria's refugees have settled in different regions in Lebanon and are living in dramatic conditions due to the limited amount of aid offered to them.

Many families have set up home in Lebanon's 12 Palestinian refugee camps where accommodation is cheaper than in other areas of the country.

The UNHCR's regular report revealed on Monday that the number of Syrians who fled the war-torn neighboring country has reached 1,058,088, in addition to 11,000 who crossed into the country in the past week.

The United Nations has called for gathering USD 1,89 billion to support Lebanon in dealing with the refugee crisis in 2014, but has only received USD 242 million of the total amount.

S.D.B.