Jerash Camp

Jerash camp, known locally as Gaza camp, was set up as an "emergency" camp in 1968 for 11,500 Palestine refugees and displaced persons who left the Gaza Strip as a result of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.The camp covers an area of 750,000 square metres and is situated 5 km from the famous Roman ruins of Jerash. After 1967 the Agency quickly set up facilities for mass supplementary feeding, environmental sanitation services, health services and education in tented schools. Plans for replacing the original 1,500 tents with more durable ones to withstand the harsh winters were dropped in favour of the construction of prefabricated shelters. Between 1968-1971, 2,000 shelters were constructed with support from the Near East Emergency Donations. Over the years many of the camp inhabitants have replaced the prefabs with more durable concrete shelters.

Facts and Figures

Population

• 24,090 Registered Refugees

UNRWA Education Programme

• Four Elementary/Preparatory school for 4,839 enrolled pupils in 2008/2009.

UNRWA Relief & Social Services Programme

• 570 Families receive assistance under the Social Safety Net Programme

• One Food Distribution centre

UNRWA Health Programme

• 1 Health centre

NGOs

There are seven active NGOs in the camp, which organize cultural activities and run an educational enhancement programme for children.

• One Women’s Programme Centre which provides training courses for women (sewing and embroidery, handicrafts and hairdressing), kindergarten & awareness activities.

• One Community based Rehabilitation Centre

Public Information Office
March 2009