Talbieh Camp

Talbieh Camp
مخيم الطالبية
Refugee camp
Nickname(s): Student Camp
Talbieh Camp

Location in Jordan

Coordinates: 31°42′19″N 35°56′57″E / 31.70528°N 35.94917°E / 31.70528; 35.94917Coordinates: 31°42′19″N 35°56′57″E / 31.70528°N 35.94917°E / 31.70528; 35.94917
Country Jordan
Governorate Amman Governorate
Area
 • Total 0.05 sq mi (0.13 km2)
Population (2015)
 • Total 8,000
Time zone Eastern European Standard Time (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) Arabia Standard Time (UTC+3)
[1]

Talbieh Camp (or Talbiyye or Talbiyeh) (Arabic: مخيم الطالبية‎‎) is one of the 10 officially recognized UNRWA Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan. It is located about 35 kilometres (22 miles) south of Amman,[2] placing it within the main urban area of Al-Jeezah, immediately to the west of where Desert Highway passes through the town. The refugee camp is also slightly south of the more recently built Queen Alia International Airport.

The camp covers an area of 0.13 km2 (0.050 sq mi), making it Jordan's largest refugee camp as far as the amount of state land used.[2] Other refugee camps in Jordan cover more land overall, such as Baqa'a on 1.4 km2 (0.54 sq mi) and Zaatari on 5.2 km2 (2.0 sq mi).

History

The camp was one of six "emergency" refugee camps built in 1968 to accommodate approximately 5,000 Palestinians displaced from the West Bank and Gaza Strip due to the Six-Day War.[1] When the camp first opened, most of Talbieh's inhabitants were displaced persons as opposed to refugees, and the population consisted of mostly Bedouin.[2] These two demographic factors made Talbieh different from other refugee camps in Jordan.[2] The Red Lion and Sun Society of Iran donated the tents that originally made up the camp, and later installed concrete shelters.[2] A 2013 study noted that 18 percent of households in Talbieh have a floor area of less than 8 square metres (86 sq ft) per person, with Talbieh's average household floor area per capita being 17 square metres (180 sq ft), the lowest of all Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan.[3]:56

Demographics

As of 2016, UNWRA reported that Talbieh Camp has a population of over 8,000 UNRWA-registered refugees[1] but its actual population may be larger. Even at the upper estimate of its population, it is the smallest Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan in terms of camp population[1] and one of the least developed.[4] The average household size was 5.3 people in 2012.[3]:43 As of 2013, Talbieh Camp was the only Palestinian refugee camp where young men outperformed young women in terms of completing post-secondary education.[3]:134–135

Support facilities

The camp has four schools, including a school for boys and a school for girls, both run by UNRWA, as well as a government-run high school for girls. It also has a women's program center, a health center, and a community-based rehabilitation center.[1][2] Camp volunteers assist in efforts to combat drug abuse in the community.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Staff. "Where we work - Camp profiles - Talbieh camp". UNRWA. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Staff (January 2013). "UN Relief & Works Agency (UNRWA): Jordan Refugee Camp Profiles". Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Tiltnes, Åge A.; Zhang, Huafeng (2013). "Insights into the Socio-economic Conditions of Palestinian Refugees in Jordan" (PDF). UNRWA. Fafo. ISBN 978-82-324-0049-2. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Staff (March 31, 2011). "Young volunteers in Jordan's Talbieh refugee camp tackle social problems". United Nations Information System on the Question of Palestine. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
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