Background:
Palestine is a very poor country, Palestinians are almost totally dependent on external aids to keep them survive. The worst situation is in the Palestinian camps where starving took place taken into consideration the highly fertility rate which reach 8.5. All of the camps are overcrowded, they contain virtually no open or green spaces that can be used for recreational purposes or sporting activities. Camp residents are living in small size houses that do not exceed 30 square meters at a rate of two rooms for one family; the housing conditions of Palestinian refugees are also among the worst in the world. The health situation of Palestinian refugees is generally very poor. The statistics of Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (2017) reflects the highest percentage of poverty and the difficult socio-economic conditions in the refugee camps, where 67.5% of the refugee families under risk of poverty, a result of the high unemployment; high fertility rate; the large family size; and the high dependency rate. In this context, a male youth from Arroub camp said, “We are living in misery, we have nothing, it is very crowded, your window opens into your neighbour´s window, a street is one meter wide, as refugees we need a solution that gives us our rights”.
The West Bank has the largest number of recognized Palestine refugee camps and is home to over 800,000 refugees who live scattered among 19 refugee camps, with some 50,000 living in Nablus’ four main refugee camps. The largest of them, Balata, has a population similar to that of the smallest camp in Gaza. Most of the others live in West Bank towns and villages; the Old City of Nablus houses many poor families of refugee origin. In total, there are 762 820 refugees living in the West Bank. These camps suffer from suffocating high population densities. For example, the 22 855 of Balata refugee camp live on less than 2 square kilometers of land. Their populations are young, with 60% less than 19 years old. Families live in square, concrete houses with just a few rooms; homes ill-equipped to deal with the extreme heat of the summer and cold of the winter. Water is limited and often unclean, plumbing very basic and sewage systems inadequate.
These refugees were plunged into even greater poverty after being cut-off from the Israeli labor market at the beginning of the Second Intifada. The camps are so crowded that the typical street is barely wider than a grown man’s shoulders. Only a couple streets are wide enough to accommodate a vehicle. The camps are becoming ever more crowded, with growing populations and limited opportunities for these refugees to make a life elsewhere. Most houses are designed to facilitate continued expansion upwards. They have unfinished flat roofs. At each corner juts out a square concrete pillar with rebar poking out at the centre, with the expectation that a new floor will be added in the future.
At street level sunlight is limited; facilities for children more so. Extracurricular activities and play spaces are much needed, but so difficult to deliver. And even if these families had the money to send their children away from the camps for activities, during the Second Intifada there was always the fear that the children may run into the Israeli military when it invaded the city or camps.
An average of 50 pupils per class, extremely crowded classes and little to do when school is not in session, the limited street space becomes a “play” area for many boys. The situation is worse for girls, who often remain confined to their cramped houses due to traditional social restrictions that are becoming tighter by the year. Many girls develop weak muscles and poor balance because of a lack of physical activity.
In the overcrowded West Bank camps, it seems that when you live in the midst of regular chaos, you grow up before your age and need to learn to look after yourself very quickly. It is clear that living in West Bank refugee camps is not an easy thing. Nevertheless, for now, hope remains we need to keep doing our best to alleviate the suffering and improve the conditions of the future generation of Palestinians in the midst of all the complexity and chaos.
Project Details:
Title: Ramadan Iftar for 450 Palestinian Refugee Families in the West Bank: Hardship, Aged, Handicapped, Unemployed, Widows, and Orphans 2018.
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.
, 00972 599 678 306.
Beneficiaries: Needy Refugee Families: Hardship, Aged, Handicapped, Unemployed, Widows, and Orphans in refugee camps, West Bank, Palestine.
Number of Beneficiaries: 450 needy families (450*8 persons=3600).
Date of the project: June 01-12, 2018.
Package details for each family: NIS 100-300.
Donor: Local and International community.
Project process:
The HRS society announced about the project with the cooperation of the local community in the Palestinian refugee camps in north, middle and south of the West Bank.
Each needy family filled an application for Ramadan Iftar which last for ten days.
All the applications were evaluated in order to get the very needy 450 families.
Each selected family received cash money from HRS for Ramadan Iftar 2018.
The delivery process took place in the refugee camps in June 01-12, 2018.
HRS team covered the delivery process professionally, with accurate documentations (excel names list of the head of the family, his category; number of members in the family; number of boys and girls in the family, photos, etc).
Acknowledgment:
Upon the completion of this charity project and on behalf of Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and the HRS board members I would like to extend my deepest thanks and appreciation to the local and international communities for their generous support for our needy brothers and sisters in the refugee camps.
It would be have been impossible to carry out this charity project without 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
