Published : 07-04-2021
Palestinian refugee families in Khan Eshieh camp, in Rif Dimashq, continue to rail against the poor sanitation networks and improper sewage disposal.
The displaced families warned of the life-threatening diseases wrought by the unpleasant smells stemming from contaminated sewage poured near their refugee camp. Frequent power/water outages have added bad to worse.
According to UN data, Khan Eshieh camp was built several centuries ago to give overnight accommodation to trading caravans on the ancient route between Jerusalem and Constantinople (modern day Istanbul). In 1948, the ruins of the city provided shelter for refugees from villages in northern Palestine.
The camp, which lies 23 km south of Damascus, was officially established in 1950-1951 on an area of 0.03 square kilometers. The camp was home to 10,000 Palestine refugees by 2011, almost all of whom were living in irregular housing, constructed without any formal approval from the municipality.
Before the conflict in Syria, the camp was already one of the poorest camps in Syria. The conflict exerted additional pressures. The camp was surrounded by armed opposition groups and many refugee families displaced from other areas of Damascus took refuge in the camp, tripling the number of residents to some 30,000 during the crisis. Currently, the camp is home to 12,650 Palestine refugees. The increase of the camp population has had a negative impact on the camp’s infrastructure.
Palestinian refugee families in Khan Eshieh camp, in Rif Dimashq, continue to rail against the poor sanitation networks and improper sewage disposal.
The displaced families warned of the life-threatening diseases wrought by the unpleasant smells stemming from contaminated sewage poured near their refugee camp. Frequent power/water outages have added bad to worse.
According to UN data, Khan Eshieh camp was built several centuries ago to give overnight accommodation to trading caravans on the ancient route between Jerusalem and Constantinople (modern day Istanbul). In 1948, the ruins of the city provided shelter for refugees from villages in northern Palestine.
The camp, which lies 23 km south of Damascus, was officially established in 1950-1951 on an area of 0.03 square kilometers. The camp was home to 10,000 Palestine refugees by 2011, almost all of whom were living in irregular housing, constructed without any formal approval from the municipality.
Before the conflict in Syria, the camp was already one of the poorest camps in Syria. The conflict exerted additional pressures. The camp was surrounded by armed opposition groups and many refugee families displaced from other areas of Damascus took refuge in the camp, tripling the number of residents to some 30,000 during the crisis. Currently, the camp is home to 12,650 Palestine refugees. The increase of the camp population has had a negative impact on the camp’s infrastructure.
