Deir 'Ammar refugee camp

Deir 'Ammar camp was established in 1949 on 0.16 square kilometres 30km north-west of Ramallah.

The camp was built on a plot of land belonging to non-refugee residents of Deir 'Ammar village. In return, UNRWA's installations in the camp also provide services to non-refugee villagers. The camp’s original inhabitants come from destroyed villages in the Ramleh, Jaffa and Lydd areas.  

While all shelters are connected to public water and electricity infrastructure, there is no sewerage system, and residents use latrines connected to percolation pits. A private septic tank collects the waste and dumps it in a wadi 3km from the camp, for a fee.

Following the Oslo Agreements, the camp fell under joint Israeli-Palestinian control.

The unemployment rate is 23 per cent and is affected by the increased inaccessibility of the Israeli labour market.

Statistics

• Nearly 2,400 registered refugees
• Two schools
• One food distribution centre
• One UNRWA health centre, two others
• One community-based rehabilitation centre
• One women’s programme centre
• Demographic profile:
  

Programmes in the camp

• Health
• Education
• Microfinance
• Social safety-net
• Relief and social services
• Job creation programme
• Emergency food and cash assistance

Major problems

• Unemployment
• No sewerage system