ZARQA REFUGEE CAMP

Zarqa camp is the oldest Palestine refugee camp in Jordan, and was one of the four camps established after l948 to accommodate the refugees who left Palestine as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.

The camp was set up by the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1949 for 8,000 refugees in an area of 180,000 square metres near the town of Zarqa. UNRWA later replaced the original tents with concrete shelters and over the years the refugees have made improvements and added more rooms. The camp now resembles other urban quarters in Zarqa.

UNRWA provides education, health and relief and social services through 14 installations operated by 255 Agency staff including 49 staff members at Zarqa Area Office.

FACTS AND FIGURES

• There are 18,528 registered refugees;

• UNRWA runs 6 schools for 3,120 pupils in 2006/2007, with a teaching staff of 102;

• The Agency’s two health centres are run by 10 doctors, 2 dentists, 24 nurses and assistants, 7 assistant pharmacists, 4 laboratory technicians and 8 clerks for about 1,145 patients daily. A specialist clinic is run by an ophthalmologist and an intern on a part-time contractual basis.

• 165 families receive assistance through the Agency's special hardship assistance programme;

• There is one women's programme centre in the camp run by local women's committees with financial and technical support from UNRWA. Some 1,500 refugee women and 1,200 youth benefit from the activities of the centre every year;

• UNRWA supports the work of the community rehabilitation centre which provides facilities for 104 refugees with disabilities.

• 13 sanitation labourers and one foreman provide environmental health services.