European Commission contributes €2,5m for improving living
conditions in Jerash camp
Amman – The European Commission has made a contribution of €2,500,000 to improve living conditions of the residents in Jerash camp.
This morning, the European Commission Ambassador to Jordan, Patrick Renauld, was joined by the Director of UNRWA Operations in Jordan, Sheldon Pitterman, in a ceremony held at Jerash camp to officially launch the project.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Renauld said that the project aims to improve the quality of life for the camp’s residents through developing and implementing a local community development strategy; developing and strengthening the camp’s community based organisations and addressing the most urgent needs related to general living conditions.
The community development strategy involves the establishment of a community development office to assess employment possibilities and enhance self-employment opportunities for the inhabitants. This will include vocational training, employment guidance, assistance in starting small enterprises and access to micro-credit.
The project will also help the Community Based Rehabilitation Centre and the Women’s Programme Centre in the camp expand services and enhance their sustainability.
To address the most urgent needs of the residents, 68 shelters of poor families will be rehabilitated; the solid waste removal will be improved; the health centre will be provided with improved equipment and the schools will be extended with additional classrooms and suitable computer laboratories.
The physical works on these improvements will commence in coming weeks and are scheduled for completion within two years.
Mr. Pitterman expressed UNRWA’s appreciation for the generous support it receives from the European Commission, one of the largest donors to the Agency’s regular budget and special projects within the Agency’s five areas of operations, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, West Bank and Gaza Strip, to the benefit of some 4.3 million Palestine refugees.
Jerash camp accommodates about 28,000 persons, the vast majority of whom took refuge in Jordan from the Gaza Strip after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
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For further details, please contact
Ahmed Bedjaoui
Tel: 06/5922541
Matar Saqer
Tel: 079/5605553
Document Sources: European Commission, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
Subject: Assistance, Refugee camps, Refugees and displaced persons
Publication Date: 19/02/2007