- El Buss camp was originally established by the French government in 1937 for Armenian refugees.
- In the 1950’s, Palestine refugees from the Acre area came to live there.
El Buss Camp
El Buss camp is located 1.5 km south of Tyre in Lebanon next to the main Roman ruins in the city. The French government originally built the camp in 1939 for Armenian refugees. However, they were then moved to the Anjar area in the 1950s and Palestinians from the Acre area in Galilee came to the camp.
Because of its location and relatively small size, the camp was spared from much of the violence that other camps experienced during the Lebanese civil war.
The residents of El Buss camp generally work as seasonal workers. The camp has recently expanded in population size due to the influx of refugees from Syria and Palestine Refugees from Syria (PRS).
Security and governance in the camp are the responsibility of Popular Committees and Palestinian Factions. Access for people and building materials is controlled by the Lebanese Armed Forces through checkpoints.
Updated August 2023.
REFUGEE CAMPS IN Lebanon
We provide services in 12 Palestine refugee camps in Lebanon. UNRWA does not administer or police the camps, as this is the responsibility of the host authorities.
Quick Facts
Official camps
Unrwa In El Buss Camp
Schools
- UNRWA runs two preparatory schools and one secondary school in El Buss camp, catering to over 1,800 Palestine Refugee students, including PRS.
Health Centre
- The UNRWA health centre in El Buss provides primary health-care services, mother and child health care, dental care, laboratory and X-ray services to camp residents. The health centre receives an average of 196 patients per day.
Social Safety Net Beneficiaries
- A core focus for social protection is providing Social Safety Net (SSN) support to the most vulnerable Palestine Refugees. Assistance is issued quarterly to more than 449 families (1,615 individuals) in the camp.
