Ammon News – Thursday marks 10 years since the opening of the United Nations Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan to house Syrians fleeing war.
Located in the desert of northern Jordan, about 12 km from the border with Syria, the Zaatari camp, which houses more than 80,000 people, is the largest Syrian refugee camp in the world.
The Syrian crisis has been going on since March 2011, when protests erupted against President Bashar al-Assad’s government, which quickly turned into a full-blown war.
Today, more than half of the 23 million pre-war inhabitants are still displaced, including nearly seven million refugees, most of them in neighboring countries.
Five countries – Turkey (3.4 million), Lebanon (850,000), Jordan (668,000), Germany (616,000) and Iraq (245,000) – hosted 90% of the 6.76 million Syrian refugees worldwide in July 2021.
Zaatari refugee camp at a glance
Zaatari camp located near the village of the same name in Mafraq governorate was opened on July 28, 2012. The white tent city was originally designed to accommodate 60,000 people but had to be expanded due to the influx of refugees . At its peak in 2013, it was home to over 200,000 people, becoming the fourth largest city in Jordan.
While many refugees have since returned to Syria or moved to other countries, the camp is still home to some 80,000 people, more than half (55%) of whom are children.
According to the UN, 80% of its current residents are from Daraa province in southern Syria, which has seen intense fighting between Syrian government forces and rebels.
Although residents have found refuge from the violence raging in Syria, many residents of this dusty and isolated camp feel stuck, unsure if they will ever be able to leave or return home.
Living conditions inside the Zaatari camp
The 5.5 km² (2.1 sq mi) camp, divided into 12 districts, grew from a collection of tents in 2012 to an informal town with 58 community centers, 32 schools and eight medical clinics.
The campsite is composed of:
26,000 shelters – provided by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), each prefabricated shelter includes toilets and a kitchen and has a lifespan of six years.
32 schools – UNICEF is working with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to provide education to 76% of the 21,900 children in the camp.
Eight medical clinics – including two COVID-19 vaccination centers in operation since March 2021. In January, there were an average of 5,400 weekly health consultations in the camps.
Shops and Businesses – Camp entrepreneurs run a variety of businesses, including hair salons, clothing stores, falafel stands, and more. The main market road, nicknamed “Champs Elysées” – named after the famous shopping avenue in France – became the center of economic activity in the camp.
Food Assistance Program – Residents receive $32 per month from the World Food Program (WFP) through blockchain technology to cover their food needs. Camp residents can redeem these credits at dedicated supermarkets by watching a camera at the checkout which confirms their identity against a UN database and settles their bill.
Access to electricity – In 2017, a 12.9 megawatt solar power plant, funded by the German government, was built to increase access to electricity from eight to 14 hours a day.
*Al Jazeera
