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SHUFAT REFUGEE CAMP
Shufat camp was established in 1965, more than a decade after all the other official camps in the West Bank, on .203 sqaure kilometres just north of Jerusalem. Shufat was established after the Mascar camp in Jerusalem’s Old City was closed because of its unsanitary conditions. Residents in the Mascar camp that were relocated to Shufat originally came from 55 villages in the Jerusalem, Lydd, Jaffa and Ramleh areas. Like other West Bank campus, it was established on land UNRWA leased from the government of Jordan. Shu'fat camp is the only West Bank that lies within the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem. As such, Shufat refugees are entitled to Jerusalem identity cards, guaranteeing them residency rights in Jerusalem and making them eligible for certain Israeli social services, including health care. Since their movement is not restricted, Jerusalem identity card holders have not been affected by Israeli closures of the West Bank. Many refugees who had previously moved out of the camp are now returning in an attempt to retain their Jerusalem identity cards. While UNRWA's official number of registered refugees in the camp stands at 10,936, the numbers are likely above 18,000; an estimated 4,000 refugees have moved into the camp in the past several years to avoid losing Jerusalem residency rights. 70% of the camp’s residents work in the Israeli private sector. All shelters are connected to public water and electricity infrastructure, though not all are connected to the public sewerage system. Overcrowding is a major problem. UNRWA's technical and safety building regulations have been ignored increasing numbers of refugees construct three- or four-storey shelters on foundations that originally were constructed to hold one- or two-storey structures. Registered Refugees
UNRWA Education Programme
UNRWA Relief and Social Services Programme
UNRWA Health Programme
Community Services
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