Area: Syria

Population Size: 17,458

Established date: 1949

Background:

Homs camp lies within the town of Homs, 160km north of Damascus.

Woman using sign languageThe camp was established in 1949 on an area of 0.15 square kilometres, adjacent to al-Baath University. Most of the original refugees fled from the villages surrounding Haifa , Tabaryeh and Acre in northern Palestine.

Today, most refugees are wage labourers, local civil servants or street vendors.

Poor environmental health is a major concern as it affects the quality of life and poses health risks for the refugees. The sewerage system needs to be expanded to cope with the increasing camp population.

Two old school buildings are in a dilapidated condition and have major structural defects. UNRWA's main priority in the camp is to reconstruct the schools to provide improved facilities for the refugee children.

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The information included here predates the start of the conflict in Syria in March 2011. For more up-to-date information, please visit the Syria crisis page. (UNRWA website)