Al-Waleed (camp)
Encyclopedia
Al-Waleed is a makeshift Palestinian refugee camp in Iraq
, near the border with Syria and the al-Tanf Crossing. It was set up in 2006 by Palestinian refugee
s stranded at the Iraqi-Syrian border The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
has two field staff stationed in the camp. In 2008, it had a population of 1,649 refugee, 1602 of which were Palestinians and the remainders Iraqi
s.
Since March 2006, a steady flow of Palestinians has been leaving Baghdad. People arrive at al-Waleed camp on a regular basis and most come from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Last year, the Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration called on all Palestinians at al-Waleed to return to their homes in Baghdad
, promising them financial compensation, assistance and protection. However, the ultimate goal of the camp's residents is to get out of Iraq as soon as possible without getting hurt. In 2008 and 2009, 375 people left for resettlement in Iceland, the UK, the US, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Norway.
According to al-Jazeera correspondent Nisreen al-Shamayleh, al-Waleed suffers from poor hygiene and an absence of medical care amid extreme weather conditions. Children, women and the elderly have died due to the lack of adequate health care. The nearest hospital is four hours drive' away along a dangerous route. The tents are overcrowded and many residents have chronic respiratory ailments, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart problems. Tents fill with water when it rains, and temperatures can fall below freezing in the winter. In the summer, temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius have been recorded, while sandstorms, fires, snakes and scorpions all present dangers. With no sewage system, waste water runs openly through the camp, leading to a higher occurrence of disease and infections among children who play between the tents.
Despite the closure of al-Tanf camp on February 1st 2010 and the resettlement of approximately 1000 Palestinians to third countries, al-Waleed continues to host close to 1,300 Palestinian refugees.
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, near the border with Syria and the al-Tanf Crossing. It was set up in 2006 by Palestinian refugee
Palestinians in Iraq
Palestinians in Iraq are people of Palestinian ancestry, some of whom have been residing in Iraq after they were forced to flee their homeland in 1948. Before 2003, there were approximately 34,000 Palestinians thought to be living in Iraq, mainly concentrated in Baghdad...
s stranded at the Iraqi-Syrian border The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to...
has two field staff stationed in the camp. In 2008, it had a population of 1,649 refugee, 1602 of which were Palestinians and the remainders Iraqi
Iraqi people
The Iraqi people or Mesopotamian people are natives or inhabitants of the country of Iraq, known since antiquity as Mesopotamia , with a large diaspora throughout the Arab World, Europe, the Americas, and...
s.
Since March 2006, a steady flow of Palestinians has been leaving Baghdad. People arrive at al-Waleed camp on a regular basis and most come from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Last year, the Iraqi Ministry of Displacement and Migration called on all Palestinians at al-Waleed to return to their homes in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, promising them financial compensation, assistance and protection. However, the ultimate goal of the camp's residents is to get out of Iraq as soon as possible without getting hurt. In 2008 and 2009, 375 people left for resettlement in Iceland, the UK, the US, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Norway.
According to al-Jazeera correspondent Nisreen al-Shamayleh, al-Waleed suffers from poor hygiene and an absence of medical care amid extreme weather conditions. Children, women and the elderly have died due to the lack of adequate health care. The nearest hospital is four hours drive' away along a dangerous route. The tents are overcrowded and many residents have chronic respiratory ailments, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart problems. Tents fill with water when it rains, and temperatures can fall below freezing in the winter. In the summer, temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius have been recorded, while sandstorms, fires, snakes and scorpions all present dangers. With no sewage system, waste water runs openly through the camp, leading to a higher occurrence of disease and infections among children who play between the tents.
Despite the closure of al-Tanf camp on February 1st 2010 and the resettlement of approximately 1000 Palestinians to third countries, al-Waleed continues to host close to 1,300 Palestinian refugees.