R E F U G E E S

Beach Refugee Camp

One of the most crowded of the Gaza Strip's refugee camps, Beach camp is also locally known as "Shati", and has a population of over 80,000 residents. The camp, which was established after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war initially accommodated 23,000 refugees from Lydda, Jaffa, Beersheva and other areas. It occupies 0.52 km2 of the costal strip north of Gaza town.

Population:

  • The camp population is 172,436 (31 December 2008). 82,009 are in the camp and 90,427 are living outside the camp.

  • The camp houses 16.07 per cent of Gaza’s total refugee population.

UNRWA Education Programme:

  • UNRWA operates 29 schools in 16 building schools in the camp, 18 elementary and 11 preparatory. 13 of the 29 schools are run on double shift basis.

  • Enrollment in the current academic year 2008/2009 totals 21609.

  • The total number of class sections is 1272, 855 classes in the elementary schools and 417 classes in the preparatory schools

  • UNRWA runs three schools, one elementary and two preparatory in Rimal Area.

  • The total number of teachers is1677, 1031 female teachers and 646 males.

UNRWA Health Programme:

  • The Agency's health centre was reconstructed in 1994.

  • The Agency's health centre in the camp is staffed by 33 health care workers assigned to a morning shift.

  • It provides outpatient, dental, maternal-child health, family planning clinics as well as a laboratory and pharmacy.

  • In 2008, on average of 15,590 consultations were held there each month.

  • The refugees living in the nearby areas also receive health care services at the Agency Rimal Health Center, located just east of the camp.

  • The Agency Rimal Health Center is staffed by 94 health care workers assigned to a morning and afternoon shifts.

  • It provides outpatient, dental, maternal-child health, physiotherapy and family planning clinics as well as a laboratory and pharmacy.

  • In 2008, on average of 43,208 consultations were held there each month.

UNRWA Relief and Social Services:

  • There are 16 staff members in the Relief programme.

  • A total of 2615 families (12122 person) residing in the camp are eligible for relief assistance under the Agency’s Social Safety Net (SSN) programme.

  • 923 families are classified as abjectly poor, that are 7,204 people classified as abjectly poor.

  • There is one distribution centre in the camp.

  • 324 shelters are being reconstructed under the SSN, 281 are in the camp and 43 are outside.

  • The number of SSNP shelters that need to be repaired is 298 among them 171 are in the camp and 127 are out the camp

  • Within its social services programme, UNRWA is sponsoring one Women’s Program Centre in the camp

Microfinance and Microenterprise:

  • Through its Small-scale Enterprise Credit Product, UNRWA has extended loans with a combined value of US$ 561,085.00 to 56 borrowers residing in the camp. Among the borrowers are producers of clothing, paper tissue, bricks, and electrical transformers, the owners of an electric motor repair workshop, an automotive repair workshop and two restaurants, two building contractors, a fisherman and a blacksmith.

  • Through its Solidarity Group Lending Product, which makes credit available to women using a group-guarantee mechanism, the Agency has extended loans totaling US$ 936,782.00 to 1,388 women from the camp.

  • Through its Micro-enterprise Credit Product; it has made US$ 2,698,941.00 in credit available to 2,406 owners of micro-enterprises.

  • Through its consumer lending product, the Agency has issued 527 loans valued at US$ 346,700.00

  • Through its Housing Loan product the Microfinance Department issued 65 loans value at US$ 396,100.00.

Emergency:

  • The number of beneficiaries’ coupons/families is 42,883. There are 212,701 individual beneficiaries.

  • There are 13 staff members in Beach Distribution Center. There are 13 staff in Sabra Distribution centre, and 13 in Zaitun Distribution Centre.

  • There are 10 staff in the Beach and North Gaza Emergency Office and nine members in Al Zaitun and Al Sabra Emergency Offices.

UNRWA Environmental Health:

The Sanitation Office has 52 employees who take care of daily collection of refuse, cleaning of roads and alleys, transporting the refuse from the camp to municipal landfill sites, and rodents and insect control. They also monitor water supply through chemical and bacteriological testing, and operate petrol water pumps to pump storm water from flooded areas during the rainy season.

UNRWA Engineering & Construction Services Department:

There are nine maintenance offices in the camp that offer maintenance works for all UNRWA installations.