Marka refugee camp

Palestinian refugee camp in Amman, Jordan

The Marka refugee camp (Arabic: مخيم ماركا) is one of six emergency camps erected in 1968 to shelter 15,000 Palestinian refugees fleeing the West Bank and the Gaza Strip due to 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, 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.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Marka (Hittin) Refugee Camp". UNRWA. 31 March 2007. Retrieved 2008-02-24.

External links

  • Marka – articles from UNWRA
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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 closed
Aqabat Jaber6,400
Ein as-Sultan 1,900
Far'a 7,600
Fawwar 8,000
Jalazone 11,000
Qalandia 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 18,000
Nur Shams 9,000
Jenin 16,000
Shu'fat 11,000
Silwad
Birzeit
Sabinah22,600
Khan al-Shih 20,000
Nayrab 20,500
Homs 22,000
Jaramana 18,658
Daraa 10,000
Hama 8,000
Khan Danoun 10,000
Qabr Essit 23,700
Unofficial camps
Ein Al-Tal 6,000
Latakia 10,000
Yarmouk 148,500
Bourj el-Barajneh17,945
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 4,351
Rashidieh 31,478
Former camps
Tel al-Zaatar  ?
Nabatieh  ?
Zarqa20,000
Jabal el-Hussein 29,000
Amman New (Wihdat) 51,500
Souf 20,000
Baqa'a 104,000
Husn (Martyr Azmi el-Mufti camp) 22,000
Irbid 25,000
Jerash 24,000
Marka 53,000
Talbieh 8,000
Al-Hassan  ?
Madaba  ?
Sokhna  ?
References
  1. ^ "Camp Profiles". unrwa.org. United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. Retrieved 2 July 2015.

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