Squalid conditions at Jerash camp for Palestinian refugees
Mohammad Ben Hussein/IRIN
Share with a friend on WhatsApp
This article is also available in
Anglais Arabic
JERASH CAMP
A squalid Palestinian refugee camp near the Roman ruins of Jerash offers an incongruous backdrop to the surrounding scenic mountains.
Known locally as Gaza camp, Jerash camp, 40km north of Amman, has narrow alleyways that cut through crumbling houses. There is a pervasive stench from the effluent that runs through open ditches in the hilly shanty town.
Sewage and waste water is either released through holes in the floors of refugees' homes into a concrete maze, or dumped straight into ditches running under their homes. Residents regularly pay significant sums to have the excreta pumped into special tankers.
Suffering and deprivation is apparent from the vacant looks of the residents, most of whom live well below Jordan's poverty line. The foul smell, coupled with their dull and dusty surroundings, reflect what refugees feel about their lives, say residents.
"When we arrived 40 years ago, our dream was to return to our home towns in Palestine, but for now our dream is to have a decent life," said Abu Ahmed, a 40-year-old driver who hails from Beersheba, southern Palestine.
When we arrived 40 years ago, our dream was to return to our home towns in Palestine, but for now our dream is to have a decent life.
"Senior officials or visitors to the camp are often escorted to see the main roads, where things are somewhat better," said Abu Ahmed.
The camp was built in 1968, one year after the war with Israel which led hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee to neighbouring countries, with most settling in Jordan.
Children immune?
Unpaved roads strewn with litter and animal faeces and filthy water channels are a playground for children.
"Children do not get sick if they play in the dirty water. They have developed a strong immune system," said Abu Ahmed, who has a blackberry tree in his yard from which his children eat.
"When the berries fall on the ground and into the channel, my sons and other boys pick them up and eat them but do not seem to get sick," he said.
Residents also complain of sleepless nights in summer as the area becomes infested with mosquitoes and rats. In winter the streets are flooded with dirty water.
Abu Hassan, 53, a refugee from Gaza, lives with his nine children and wife in a 96 square metre unit.
Last winter he and his family awoke in the middle of the night after dirty water flooded from the streets into their rooms. "We have been hearing promises from officials that they will address our problem… but as you see it seems the world forgot about us," he said.
Previous efforts hampered
Previous efforts to construct a sewage treatment plant were hampered by the absence of a desalination plant to purify waste water and release them into the enviornment again, in the area, according to officials from the Department for Palestinian Affairs, the government body responsible for infrastructure projects in Jordan's refugee camps.
Officials said they could not begin building a sewage network unless a treatment plant is built nearby, but this was the responsibility of the Ministry of Water.
"The discharged water that would go through a sewage network needs to be pumped into a sewage treatment plant, which the area lacks," said Yassin Abu Awad, head of projects and planning at the Department for Palestinian Affairs (DPA)
Currently, effluent is released into valleys near the camp, causing serious environmental and health hazards.
Our houses were built 40 years ago as temporary shelters. Now most of the units are on the verge of collapse and any movement of the foundations could lead to their collapse.
New plans
The DPA is planning to rehabilitate the camp, which would get a sewage network, paved roads and a new water supply system - at a cost of US$5 million, said the DPA's Abu Awad. The project is due to start by the end of November and would take at least a year to complete.
"We have plans in place, but we will only start when the government gives us the green light, after completion of the planned treatment plant," Abu Awad told IRIN.
The DPA has already built sewage networks in 11 of Jordan's 13 refugee camps.
Officials from Jordan's Ministry of Water said the contract had been awarded to a local firm, which is expected to complete construction of the treatment plant before the end of the year.
In the meantime, residents fear their ageing homes might collapse when construction work begins. They said most houses were not sufficiently well-built to withstand major excavation work, and feared they could fall down.
"Our houses were built 40 years ago as temporary shelters. Now most of the units are on the verge of collapse and any movement of the foundations could lead to their collapse," said Ali, a father of three, who lives on welfare handouts from the Jordanian government.
mbh/ar/cb
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
EXCLUSIF: Allégations d'abus sexuels perpétrés par des humanitaires ignorées pendant des années dans un camp de l'ONU au Soudan du Sud
Pourquoi nous protestons contre la présence des soldats de maintien de la paix de l'ONU en RD Congo
Mon hijab : des musulmanes du Nigeria parlent religion et mode
Journal de bord d'un reporter : Trouver le pardon dans les charniers du Burundi
Comment les travailleurs humanitaires ont pu commettre des abus sexuels en toute impunité lors de l'épidémie d'Ebola au Congo
Hundreds of thousands of readers trust The New Humanitarian each month for quality journalism that contributes to more effective, accountable, and inclusive ways to improve the lives of people affected by crises.
Our award-winning stories inform policymakers and humanitarians, demand accountability and transparency from those meant to help people in need, and provide a platform for conversation and discussion with and among affected and marginalised people.
We're able to continue doing this thanks to the support of our donors and readers like you who believe in the power of independent journalism. These contributions help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Show your support as we build the future of news media by becoming a member of The New Humanitarian.
Recevez les dernières nouvelles humanitaires directement dans votre boîte de messagerie
Inscrivez-vous pour recevoir des informations originales provenant directement du terrain. Nos articles s'adressent aux décideurs, aux travailleurs humanitaires, aux bailleurs de fonds et à tous ceux et celles qui veulent faire du monde un endroit plus humain.
Chercher par thème
Chercher par région
Chercher par genre
Aide et Politique
Films et Photos