The Humanitarian Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General, Dr. Ahmed Al Meraikhi visited United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) installations in Amman New Camp, Jordan.
The visit aimed to provide a firsthand look at the needs and living conditions of Palestine refugees in Jordan. Dr. Al Meraikhi visited the Amman New Camp Health Centre, where he was briefed about the services provided by the Agency to the approximately sixty thousand residents of the camp. The visit also sought to ensure the humanitarian needs of Palestine refugees are communicated.
Dr. Al Meraikhi underscored United Nations and global support to Palestine refugees and emphasized the importance of stability in Jordan and the greater Middle East.
“We see the challenges that UNRWA has faced and have also observed the increased demand for services for the increased refugees in all fields. I encourage all Member States to rise to the challenge again this year as they have done in years past and continue to support the Agency and Palestine refugees,” he stated.
In Jordan, UNRWA provides basic education to over 121,000 students at 169 UNRWA schools. Students in fourth, eighth and tenth grades take national quality-control examinations in core subjects – Arabic, English, science and maths – and consistently achieve high results when compared to students from private or government schools.
Amman New Camp, known locally as Wihdat, was one of four camps set up after 1948 to accommodate Palestine refugees who fled as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. The camp was established in 1955 on an area of 0.48 square kilometres, just southeast of Amman. The refugees were initially housed in 1,400 shelters constructed by UNRWA, and in 1957 the Agency built an additional 1,260 shelters. In the absence of a just solution to their plight, Palestine refugees have built on these initial shelters to improve their living conditions. The camp has grown into an urban-like quarter, reflecting the needs of its inhabitants.
UNRWA installations in the camp provide services for the refugees residing in the camp and for those living in its surroundings. In addition to thirteen schools and one health centre, the camp houses one community-based rehabilitation centre, one women’s programme centre, one environmental health office and one camp services office.
Original source: UNRWA
Published on 09 April 2019
