Husn Camp

Husn camp, known locally as Martyr Azmi el-Mufti camp, was one of the six ‘emergency’ camps set up in 1968 for 12,500 Palestine refugees and displaced people who were displaced from the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip as a result of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. The camp lies 80 kilometres north of Amman.

The inhabitants were initially accommodated in tents, in an area of 0.77 square kilometres. UNRWA originally planned to provide stronger tents to withstand the harsh winters, but between 1969 and 1971, the Agency built 2,990 prefabricated shelters instead. Over the years, many residents have replaced these with more durable structures.

MAJOR CHALLENGES

According to a 2013 Fafo Foundation report, 23 per cent of Palestine refugees in Husn camp have an income below the national poverty line of JD 814.

Unemployment is the highest of the ten Palestine refugee camps in Jordan, with 18 per cent of refugees living in the camp unemployed. Female unemployment is also the highest of the ten camps with a 25 per cent unemployment rate. 49 per cent of Palestine refugees living in Husn camp do not have health insurance.