Jabal el-Hussein Camp

Jabal el-Hussein camp is one of four camps established in Jordan after 1948 to accommodate refugees who left Palestine as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.

The camp was set up in 1952 for 8,000 refugees on an area of 0.42 square kilometres, northwest of Amman.

The refugees replaced the original tents with more durable shelters and UNRWA provided roofing. The camp has since grown into an urban-like quarter and has become part of Amman.

As with other camps in Jordan, Jabal el-Hussein camp faces severe overcrowding. There is no space for further building.

UNRWA runs 12 installations to provide services for camp refugees.

Major challenges

About 28 percent of Palestine refugees in Hussein camp have an income below the national poverty line of JD814, according to the FaFo report of 2013.

Female unemployment in Jabel Hussein camp is lowest of the ten Palestine refugee camps in Jordan, standing at 12 percent.

Jabel Hussein camp is one of two camps ranked second among Palestine refugee camps in the country when it came to chronic health problems, standing at 15 percent. Also, 69 percent of Palestine refugees in Jabel Hussein camp don’t have health insurance.