Jabalia camp

Area: Gaza

Camp Size: 1.4

Population Size: 110,000

Established date: 1948

Background:

Jabalia is the largest of the Gaza Strip's eight refugee camps. It is located north of Gaza City, close to a village of the same name.

After the Nakba in 1948, 35,000 refugees settled in the camp, most having fled from villages in southern Palestine.

Today, nearly 110,000 registered refugees live in the camp, which covers an area of only 1.4 square kilometres.

BLOCKADE

The blockade on Gaza has made life more difficult for nearly all refugees in the camp. Unemployment levels have risen dramatically, and fewer families can provide for themselves. A staggering proportion of the population is dependent on UNRWA’s food and cash assistance, which gives these previously self-sufficient families the basic dignity of food on the table.

Basic hygiene is also of great concern in the camp, where 90 per cent of the water is unfit for human consumption.

CLOSED CROSSING

Jabalia is the closest camp to Erez border crossing with Israel. According to OCHA, before the second Intifada, more than 21,000 Palestinians crossed Erez to work in Israel each day. Since 12 June 2007, the crossing has been closed to pedestrian traffic, with very limited exceptions made for medical and business cases.

STATISTICS

  • Nearly 110,000 registered refugees
  • 20 school buildings, all running on double-shifts accommodating 40 schools.
  • One food distribution centre
  • One health centre

MAJOR PROBLEMS

  • Electricity cuts
  • High unemployment
  • Contaminated water supply
  • Extremely high population density
  • Lack of availability of construction materials

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UNRWA website

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