MAGHAZI CAMP

Maghazi camp is situated in the centre of the Gaza Strip south of Bureij camp. It was established in 1949 on a 559 dunum site to shelter 9,000 refugees who had fled from villages in central and southern Palestine. Tents were replaced by mud-brick shelters in the 1950s and later by cement block shelters in the 1960s. Around 75 percent of the shelters still have asbestos roofing.

Prior to the closure of the Gaza Strip in September 2000 most of the refugees worked as labourers in Israel or locally in agriculture. Some refugees own shops and workshops. A public market is held in the camp every Sunday.

There is no sewerage network in Maghazi and sewage runs in open drains in the narrow pathways and alleys. All shelters are supplied with water from Mekorot, the Israeli water company.

FACTS AND FIGURES

• The registered refugee population is 22,266 persons;

• UNRWA operates 5 schools (3 elementary and 2 preparatory) for 6,407 enrolled pupils in 2004/2005. Two schools are run in a double shift.

• The Agency carried out extensive renovation work on its health centre in 1992 with a grant from the Government of Australia, and a dental clinic was added in 1995. The centre is staffed by 21 health care workers assigned to a morning shift. On average there are 8,800 consultations there each month.

• 639 families (2,918 refugees) receive relief assistance under the Agency's special hardship programme.

• The women's programme centre was completed in November 1995 and around 6,500 women and 2,500 children participate in the programmes yearly.

• A youth activities centre runs athletic, social and cultural programmes. It was partially renovated in 1995 as part of a project implemented by UNRWA, UNDP and UNICE.

• A community rehabilitation centre was established in 1994 in an old UNRWA feeding centre. In 1998, a new section for children and mothers was added with contributions from the Government of Japan to provide services to 60 children with disabilities and other integrated educational services to about 1,264 children.