Deir al-Ghusun
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| Deir al-Ghusun | |
| Arabic | دير الغصون |
| Name Meaning | "monastery of Christians" |
| Government | Municipality (from 1997) |
| Also Spelled | Deir al-Ghusoun (officially)
Dayr al-Ghusoun (unofficially) |
| Governorate | Tulkarm |
| Population | 9,460 (2006) |
| Jurisdiction | 13,100 dunams (13.1 km²) |
| Head of Municipality | Khaled Muhammad |
Deir al-Ghusun (Arabic: دير الغصون, monastery of Christians) is a Palestinian town in the Tulkarm Governorate, located eight kilometers northeast of the city of Tulkarm in the northern West Bank. The town is near the Green Line (border between Israel and the West Bank). The town had a population of 9,460 in 2006 and its altitude is 200 meters.
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[edit] Land
During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, 14,000 dunams were confiscated by Israeli forces. Currently, its total land area is about 13,000 dunams of which 2,268 is built-up area.[1] Since the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority in 1994, the built-up area of the town increased by over 20% or an annual expansion of 34 dunams by 2000.[2] Agricultural land comprises 7,432 dunams, while the remainder is a part of the Seam Zone.[1]
Prior to the 1948 War, Deir al-Ghusun's jurisdiction encompassed the villages of Yamma, Bir as-Sikka, al-Marja, and Ibthin - which are currently Israeli-Arab towns.[3] The Palestinian villages of Jarisha and Masqufa are located within Deir al-Ghusun but are governed by independent village councils.[2]
[edit] Economy
Deir al-Ghusun was generally more prosperous than other Palestinian towns, however, the confiscation of substantial amounts of cultivable land east of the Green Line, the temporary sanctions against the Palestinian National Authority in 2006-2007, and the disruption of trade and transportation by Israeli West Bank Barrier has somewhat hampered the economy.[4] Agriculture constitutes 50-54% of the local economy,[2] and the town's main agricultural products are olive oil, citrus, melons, cucumbers and nuts.[4]
The commercial sector also provides for the town's residents, but is not very significant.[4] The service sector comprises 25% of the town's income.[2] A reservoir to supply the town with fresh water without the frustration of residents physically transporting water from Tulkarm was built in 2003 and replaced a dysfunctional older water tank, built in 1978.[5]
[edit] Demographics
According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), Deir al-Ghusun had a population of approximately 9,460 inhabitants in mid-year 2006.[6] In 1922, the town had a population of 1,259 and according to a census in 1945, the number of inhabitants rose to 2,220.[3][4] In the PCBS's first official census in 1997, the town had a population of 7,055 inhabitants including 660 refugees.[7] The gender makeup was 3,612 males and 3,443 females.[8]
Approximately 53% of Deir al-Ghusun's residents are within the employment age range (15-64) and females constitute a significant 48% of the local labor force. According to the municipal government, the town's economy was productive and steady in the post-First Intifada period, but has decreased by 70% since the beginning of the Second Intifada in 2001. The unemployment rate increased dramatically from 55% in 1999 to 80% after 2000. Approximately 51% of the households of the town have 1-5 family members, 43% have 6-10 members and 6% have more than 10 members. About 9% of the population in Deir al-Ghusun is illiterate and of this statistic, 83% are women.[2]
Salam Fayyad, the current Prime Minister and Finance Minister of the PNA was born in Deir al-Ghusun.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Closing of all the local agricultural roads in Deir Al Ghusun town Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem (ARIJ) and Land Research Center (LRC).
- ^ a b c d e Spatial and Socioeconomic analysis at micro level: Deir al Ghusun, population, living conditions and urban trends Local Government Ministry of the Palestinian National Authority, Statistics obtained by Mayor of Deir al-Ghusun (Khaled Muhammad) and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. pp.11-13.
- ^ a b Tulkarm District Stats from Village Statistics of 1945: A Classification of Land and Area ownership in Palestine (1970) Hadawi, Sami. The Palestine Liberation Organization Research Center
- ^ a b c d The city of Tulkarem and its villages:The town of Deir al-Ghusun (Arabic)
- ^ FOCUS Vol. 1 Tulkarm and Qalqilya: Keep the Water flowing in Deir al-Ghusun United Nations Development Programme. pp. 16-17.
- ^ Projected Mid -Year Population for Tulkarm Governorate by Locality 2004- 2006 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ Palestinian Population by Locality and Refugee Status: Tulkarm Governorate (1997 Census) Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ Palestinian Population by Locality, Sex and Age Groups in Years (1997 Census) Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
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