BEIRUT, Lebanon

The UN on Friday called on Palestinian groups to stop fighting in the Ein al-Hilweh refugee camp in southern Lebanon and to vacate United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) schools immediately. 

"I urge armed groups to stop the fighting in Ein al-Hilweh camp and vacate UNRWA schools immediately," said Imran Riza, the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, in a statement posted on its official website.

The clashes between the Palestinian Fatah movement and other armed groups erupted again late Thursday, injuring at least 20 people.

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that the clashes calmed down in the early hours of Friday, but the situation remains vulnerable to further escalation.

Riza stressed in his appeal to the fighting groups that the ongoing clashes in the camp and the takeover of UNRWA schools in the camp "threaten children's right to education."

He added that armed groups' takeover of the eight UNRWA schools in the Ein al-Hilweh camp prevents "the access of nearly 6,000 children who are about to begin their school year."

Machine guns and heavy gun shells were used in Thursday's armed clashes in the refugee camp, forcing hundreds of refugees to flee the camp amid heavy fire, according to the Lebanese official news agency NNA.

Earlier on July 29, the camp saw heavy clashes between Islamic groups and Palestinian forces affiliated with the Fatah movement, which left 11 people dead and more than 40 others injured, according to UN figures.

Established in 1948, Ein al-Hilweh is the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, with 50,000 registered people, according to UN figures, though unofficial statistics put the camp’s population at 70,000.

The total number of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is estimated to be about 200,000, distributed among 12 camps, most of which are controlled by Palestinian factions.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar