A man walks past damaged buildings in the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared, site of clashes between the Lebanese army and the Al-Qaeda-inspired militia Fatah al-Islam, near the northern Lebanese coastal city of Tripoli in 2009. The United States on Wednesday announced it was giving 20 million dollars more to rebuild the Palestinian camp (AFP/File/Joseph Eid)

US gives $20 million to rebuild Lebanon refugee camp

BEIRUT (AFP) – The United States on Wednesday announced it was giving 20 million dollars more to rebuild a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon destroyed in 2007 clashes between the army and radical Islamists.

"Eighteen million dollars from the donation will be used in the physical reconstruction of the Nahr al-Bared camp. The remaining two million dollars will go towards relief and recovery support ... to the displaced refugees," the US embassy said.

The donation brings to 91.8 million dollars Washington's total contributions to the reconstruction of the camp in northern Lebanon, which was levelled in a three-month conflict between the army and Al-Qaeda-inspired Fatah al-Islam.

More than 400 people, including 168 soldiers, were killed in the fighting, and the camp's 31,000 residents were transferred to nearby camps. Some of those people have since returned.

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which is seeking 450 million dollars to rebuild the camp and 15 nearby villages, said on Wednesday that some 209 million dollars were stilled needed.