Marka refugee camp

The Marka refugee camp (Arabic: مخيم ماركا‎‎) is one of six "emergency" camps erected in 1968 to shelter 15,000 Palestinian refugees and displaced persons who left the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as a result of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Located in the Marka district of metropolitan Amman, about ten kilometers northeast of the city center, it is known locally as Hittin (حطين) or Schneller and houses 44,879 UNRWA registered refugees and over 17,500 displaced persons.^[1]

History

Initially, the refugee camp consisted of tents erected on land area covering some 917,000 square metres. Plans to provide stronger tents for the harsh winters were shelved by United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) so as to construct 4,000 prefabricated shelters instead, between 1969 and 1971. Funding for the construction came from the Federal Republic of Germany, the Government of Italy, the Jordan Development Bank, and Near East Emergency Donations. Over the years since, many of the camp's inhabitants have built their own more durable concrete shelters.^[1]

Public services

Two secondary schools in the camp are operated by the government of Jordan and there is a health centre operated by Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP UK). A local committee in the camp operate a sewing centre and a computer centre. All other education, health and social services are provided by UNRWA, whose 418 staff members run 10 schools serving 9,492 pupils and two health centres for some 1012 patients a day. Over 600 families in the camp receive extra assistance through a special hardship case programme and sanitation works are also provided by UNRWA. A women's programme centre run by local women and a community rehabilitation centre which provides day-care also benefit from UNRWA support.^[1]

References

External links

• Marka, articles from UNWRA

Palestine refugee camps locations and populations as of 2015[1]
Gaza Strip 518,000 UNRWA refugees  West Bank 188,150 UNRWA refugees  Syria 319,958 UNRWA refugees  Lebanon 188,850 UNRWA refugees  Jordan 355,500 UNRWA refugees Al-Shati (Beach camp) 87,000 Bureij 34,000 Deir al-Balah 21,000 Jabalia 110,000 Khan Yunis 72,000 Maghazi 24,000 Nuseirat 66,000 Rafah 104,000 Canada Camp closed Aqabat Jaber 6,400 Ein as-Sultan 1,900 Far'a 7,600 Fawwar 8,000 Jalazone 11,000 Kalandia 11,000 Am'ari 10,500 Deir 'Ammar 2,400 Dheisheh 13,000 Aida 4,700 Al-Arroub 10,400 Askar 15,900 Balata 23,600 'Azza (Beit Jibrin) 1,000 Ein Beit al-Ma' (Camp No. 1) 6,750 Tulkarm camp 18,000 Nur Shams 9,000 Jenin camp 16,000 Shuafat camp 11,000 Silwad Sbeineh 22,600 Khan Eshieh 20,000 Neirab 20,500 Homs 22,000 Jaramana camp 18,658 Daraa camp 10,000 Hama camp 8,000 Khan Dannun 10,000 Qabr Essit 23,700 Unofficial camps Ein Al-Tal 6,000 Latakia Camp 10,000 Yarmouk 148,500 Bourj el-Barajneh 17,945 Ain al-Hilweh 54,116 El Buss 11,254 Nahr al-Bared 5,857 Shatila 9,842 Wavel 8,806 Mar Elias 662 Mieh Mieh 5,250 Beddawi 16,500 Burj el-Shemali 22,789 Dbayeh camp 4,351 Rashidieh 31,478 Zarqa camp 20,000 Jabal el-Hussein 29,000 Amman New Camp (Wihdat) 51,500 Souf 20,000 Baqa'a 104,000 Husn (Martyr Azmi el-Mufti camp) 22,000 Irbid camp 25,000 Jerash camp 24,000 Marka 53,000 Talbieh 8,000
References ↑ "Camp Profiles". unrwa.org. United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. Retrieved 2 July 2015.

Coordinates: 32°00′32.86″N 36°01′13.71″E / 32.0091278°N 36.0204750°E / 32.0091278; 36.0204750