LATTAKIA [UNOFFICIAL REFUGEE CAMP]

Lattakia camp is an "unofficial" camp located within the city boundaries of Lattakia on the Mediterranean coast. The camp was established in 1955-1956 on an area of 220,000 square metres. Most of the refugees originally came from the city of Jaffa and villages in northern Palestine.

Fishing provides a small income for many refugees. They occasionally work as casual labourers in the port. Seasonal employment in the tourism sector is also common.

High humidity and erosion due to the camp's proximity to the sea have made most shelters in need of rehabilitation. UNRWA's main priority in the camp is to improve the condition of refugee shelters and to upgrade the sewage system.

In 1997, with a contribution from the Government of Germany, UNRWA was able to construct a women's programme centre which has been very successful. The centre provides training courses, arranges community gatherings, and undertakes income-generating activities such as renting out a communal room for weddings. UNRWA has introduced a group-lending scheme of revolving loans, which aims to alleviate poverty and to raise the living standard of refugees facing severe economic hardship. In 2001, UNRWA constructed a new school with a contribution from the Government of the United States of America.

FACTS AND FIGURES

• On 30 June 2002, there were 6,354 registered refugees.
• UNRWA runs four schools in the camp: two elementary schools for the (ages 6-12) (540 pupils) and two combined elementary and preparatory schools for (ages 13-15) - one for boys (267 pupils) and one for girls (258 pupils).
• Between January-June 2002, there were 9808 patient consultations in the UNRWA health centre.
• 163 families (or 490 refugees) are registered as special hardship cases (SHCs).
• Over the past four years, UNRWA has assisted ten of the poorest refugee families with the rehabilitation of their shelters.
• Number of loans disbursed since the start of the programme is 280.

*A number of so-called unofficial refugee camps were established over time by the host governments to provide accommodation for Palestine refugees. In all respects, refugees in official and unofficial camps have equal access to UNRWA services, except that UNRWA is not responsible for solid waste collection in the unofficial camps.

Figures as of 30 June 2002