Since 1948 to the present, Palestinian refugee camps have been living witnesses to the Nakba (Catastrophe of 1948) inflicted upon the Arab-Palestinian people. Deteriorating social, economic, health, and environmental conditions have made the camps the most desperate places to live in Palestine. These general conditions that exist in Palestinian refugee camps create the need for organizations and facilities capable of providing appropriate programs to refugees as they are the most disadvantaged sector of Palestinian society.
Balata Refugee Camp is located near Nablus, in the Northern part of the West Bank. The camp is 2.5 kilometres square. This camp was established in 1950, and is populated by refugees from 65 towns and villages from the Yaffa area, including the cities of Al Led and Al Ramleh.
Balata camp was created on a piece of land totalling 252 dunams (1 acre = 4 dunams). It is inhabited by 3,753 families, with a total population of more than 20,000 persons. In Arabic, the word Balata means Rock. It is sometimes referred to as Yaffa camp, because many of its inhabitants came from the villages surrounding Yaffa (now a suburb of Tel Aviv).
Although Balata may simply look like an extension of the city of Nablus, the conditions within Balata are quite different from those outside of the camp. One of the primary differences is that as the population grows, there is no room for demographic expansion. This leads to severe overcrowding, a problem from which all Palestinian refugee camps suffer. In its early years, Balata was an enormous tent city, but as years passed, and the refugee problem remained unresolved, permanent structures began taking root. Permanent cement structures now stand where tents once stood.
Altough there are some paved roads and permanent structures within Balata, the camp still faces many problems. Health care, education, and many other public and human services are dangerously lacking. Schools suffer from overcrowding and medical facilities lack the basic necessities to treat patients. Since the outbreak of the current Palestinian uprising, the level of unemployment, which was already high, has rocketed even higher: the poverty level stands at its worst rate yet.
The first West Bank group to defend refugee rights - the Refugee Committee to Defend Refugee Rights - was established in Balata in early 1994. This committee is very active and has three members on the Palestinian Legislative Council. The camp was very active in the first Intifadah (1987-1993). Many refugees were killed and injured, and numerous shelters were demolished by the Israeli army.
The 300 children targeted in this project are forced to study under these conditions. Their impoverished parents, who are hardly able to provide them with food, are unable to afford any books, educational games, the most basic learning tools.
Yafa Cultural Center, a charitable organization that aims to promote public awareness and education as well as economic empowerment of Palestinian refugees. In addition to strengthen Palestinians’ connection with their land and heritage and increasing their awareness of their national rights, and promoting intellectual, cultural, and educational growth, proposes to build children library in this refugee camp to 300 impoverished students of all educational phases.
Project Details:
Donor: The Lady Fatemah (A.S.) Charitable Trust-London.
Organization: HRS - Humanitarian Relief Society.
Authority: Registered Non-Government Organization in Palestine.
Address: Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine.
Contact person: Professor Bassam Banat, president, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
, 00972 599 678 306.
Beneficiaries: Children of Yafa Cultural Center at Balata refugee camp.
Number of Beneficiaries: 300 students.
Date of the project: May 10, 2012.
Project details:
| No. | Type | Number |
| 1 | Furniture: Cupboard | 5 |
| 2 | Tables | 4 |
| 3 | Chairs | 35 |
| 4 | Wood Book Shelves | 5 |
| 5 | Glass Book Shelves | 5 |
| 6 | Educational CDs | 30 |
| 7 | Educational Games | 25 |
| 8 | Educational Books and stories | 100 |
Upon the completion of this charity project and on behalf of Palestinian refugees in Balata Camp, the Mayor of Nablus, Yafa Cultural Center board and the HRS board members I would like to extend my deepest thanks and appreciation to The Lady Fatemah (A.S.) Charitable Trust for their generous support for our brothers and sisters in Balata refugee camp.
We have done this charity project not by our efforts alone, but also through your generous support and kindness, may Allah bless you and reward you the Jana, Ameen. “inna lanudeeAAu ajra man ahsana AAamala” (We will not allow to be lost the reward of any who did well in deeds). Sadaga Allah Al Atheem.
With my deepest salaamas and duas,
Professor Bassam Banat,
President
