Published : 11-11-2021
Staff from the services office of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Khan Eshieh camp have started clearing dust and rubble from the A’waj River and a number of residential alleyways in the camp.
A resident said the campaign comes following calls launched by civilians to urgently remove rubble and rocks piled up in the area.
Over recent years, Palestinian refugee families taking shelter in the camp have denounced the poor hygiene and absence of garbage-clearance services.
According to UN data, Khan Eshieh camp lies beside the ancient ruins of Khan Eshieh, 27km south-west of Damascus. The Khan historically served as an overnight shelter for trade caravans on the road between Damascus and the southwest, and in 1948, it provided shelter for the first refugees from Palestine. The camp was established in 1949 on an area of 0.69 square kilometers with refugees originally from the northern part of Palestine.
Before the conflict in Syria, the camp was home to more than 20,000 Palestine refugees. In 2012, the farms and fields surrounding the camp became active battlegrounds in which heavy weapons were deployed, often indiscriminately. The population more than halved to 9,000.
Some of the camp's buildings and infrastructure were severely affected including some UNRWA installations; two UNRWA schools and the community centre were almost razed to the ground. Residents have slowly started to return, with the camp now accommodating 12,000 people.
Staff from the services office of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Khan Eshieh camp have started clearing dust and rubble from the A’waj River and a number of residential alleyways in the camp.
A resident said the campaign comes following calls launched by civilians to urgently remove rubble and rocks piled up in the area.
Over recent years, Palestinian refugee families taking shelter in the camp have denounced the poor hygiene and absence of garbage-clearance services.
According to UN data, Khan Eshieh camp lies beside the ancient ruins of Khan Eshieh, 27km south-west of Damascus. The Khan historically served as an overnight shelter for trade caravans on the road between Damascus and the southwest, and in 1948, it provided shelter for the first refugees from Palestine. The camp was established in 1949 on an area of 0.69 square kilometers with refugees originally from the northern part of Palestine.
Before the conflict in Syria, the camp was home to more than 20,000 Palestine refugees. In 2012, the farms and fields surrounding the camp became active battlegrounds in which heavy weapons were deployed, often indiscriminately. The population more than halved to 9,000.
Some of the camp's buildings and infrastructure were severely affected including some UNRWA installations; two UNRWA schools and the community centre were almost razed to the ground. Residents have slowly started to return, with the camp now accommodating 12,000 people.
