R E F U G E E S

Rafah Refugee Camp

Rafah Camp is located in the south of Gaza, near the Egyptian border. The camp was established in 1949 to house 41,000 refugees. At that time, it was one of the largest and most densely populated of the eight refugee camps of the Gaza Strip. However, several thousands of people have since moved from the camp to a housing project nearby (Tel Es-Sultan). Today the camp is almost indistinguishable from the adjacent city.

Population:

  • 173,006 people (31 December 2008). Among them 98,872 are in the camp and 74,134 are living outside the camp.

  • Rafah houses 16.12 per cent of Gaza’s total refugee population.

UNRWA Education Programme:

  • UNRWA operates 40 schools in 23 school buildings in the camp, 21 elementary and 13 preparatory.17 of the 23 school buildings are run on a double shift basis. UNRWA runs four schools ( one elementary and three preparatory) in Tal Sultan and Al-Shouka areas.

  • Enrollments in the current academic year total 32634

  • The total number of class sections is 893, 589 classes in the elementary schools and 304 classes in the preparatory schools

  • The total number of teachers is 1178, 597 female teachers and 581 male teachers

UNRWA Relief and Social Services Programme:

  • The number of Relief Department staff members in the camp is 19.

  • A total of 3393 families (15618 person) residing in the camp are eligible for relief assistance under the Agency’s Social Safety Net (SSN) programme.

  • 1,305 families are classified as abjectly poor and receive Family Income Supplements. 10,587 people are classified as abjectly poor.

  • There is one distribution centre in the camp.

  • The total number of the shelters related to SSN families who entitled to be reconstructed is 618. Among them 459 are in the camp and 159 are out the camp.

  • The number of SSNP shelters that need to be repaired is 464 among them 127 are in the camp and 337 are out the camp

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

UNRWA Microfinance Programme:

  • Through its Small-scale Enterprise Credit Product, UNRWA has extended loans with a combined value of US$ 60,500 to five borrowers residing in Rafah camp. Among the borrowers are two plasterers and the owners of aluminum and carpentry workshops.

  • Through its Solidarity Group Lending Product, which makes credit available to women using a group-guarantee mechanism, the Agency has made loans totaling US$ 1,708,128.00 to 3,253 women from the Rafah area

  • Through its Micro-enterprise Product, loans totaling US$ 3,252,928.00 to the owners of 3,345 micro-enterprises.

  • Through its Consumer lending product the Agency has issued 102 loans valued at US$ 164,500.00

  • Through its Housing Loan product the Microfinance Department has issued 59 loans valued at US$ 364,900.00.

UNRWA Health Programme:

  • The Agency’s health centre in the camp was reconstructed in the early sixties.

  • The Agency’s health center is staffed by 88 health care workers assigned to morning and afternoon shifts.

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

  • In 2008, on average of 40,884 consultations are held there each month.

UNRWA Emergency Programme:

  • The number of beneficiaries’ coupons/families is 17,734. There are 85,808 individual beneficiaries.

  • There are 13 staff in Rafah Distribution Centre

  • There are 16 staff in the Emergency Office is

UNRWA Environmental Health:

The Sanitation Office is staffed by 80 employees who take care of the daily collection of refuse, cleaning of roads and alleys, transporting the refuse from the camp to municipal landfill sites, rodents and insects control, operating and monitoring one water well, and monitoring water supply through chemical and bacteriological testing.

UNRWA Engineering & Construction Services Department:

There are five maintenance offices in the camp that offer maintenance services for all UNRWA installations.