Souf Camp

Souf camp was one of the six ‘emergency’ camps set up for Palestine refugees and displaced people who left the West Bank and Gaza Strip during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. The camp covers an area of 0.5 square kilometres and is near the famous Roman ruins of Jerash, 50 kilometres north of Amman.

The camp was abandoned in October 1967 due to the harsh weather conditions and heavy rainfall, and its inhabitants were accommodated in a tented camp in the Jordan Valley. This temporary camp was abandoned in 1968 after an escalation in military operations in the area, and the refugees and displaced persons returned to Souf.

The Agency’s plans for providing more durable tents to withstand the harsh winters were dropped in favour of constructing 1,650 prefabricated shelters.

MAJOR CHALLENGES

According a 2013 FaFo report, Souf camp is ranked second of the ten Palestine refugee camps in Jordan when it comes to household size, with the average household size standing at 5.3 persons. But the camp is ranked eighth in terms of poverty rates, with 23.1 per cent of Palestine refugees living in the camp having an income below the national poverty line of JD 814.

Souf camp ranked second in unemployment, with 17 per cent of camp residents unemployed. It also ranked second in female unemployment, standing at 24 per cent. Souf camp has the lowest incidence of severe chronic health problems, standing at 3 per cent. But 27 per cent of Palestine refugees living in the camp are uninsured.