Beit Jibrin refugee camp

Beit Jibrin was established in 1950 in the heart of Bethlehem.

It is the smallest West Bank camp, covering only 0.02 square kilometres. The camp’s original residents came from the destroyed village of Beit Jibrin, on the western hills of Hebron. The camp is also often called the Azzeh camp, since more than 60 per cent of the camp’s residents descend from the Azzeh family. Like other West Bank camps, it was established on land UNRWA leased from the government of Jordan.  

The camp's residents receive services from UNRWA installations in the nearby Aida refugee camp and the UNRWA sub-area office in Bethlehem. The UNRWA camp services office is also based in Aida camp.

Following the Israeli army redeployment in 1995, the camp came under Palestinian Authority control.

All shelters are connected to public water and electricity infrastructure.

The unemployment rate is 30 per cent and is affected by the increased inaccessibility of the Israeli labour market.

Statistics

• Over 1,000 registered refugees
• Demographic profile:
  

Programmes in the camp

• Boys attend the boys’ school in Aida
• Girls attend the girls’ school in Dheisheh
• Patients use the health facilities in Dheisheh
• Relief and social services
• Social safety-net
• Job creation programme
• Emergency food and cash assistance

Major problems

• High unemployment