Dera’a, Syria 23 August 2022-- After more than ten years away from their homes in the Dera’a Palestine refugee camp in Syria, Palestinian families return, as the houses and facilities in the camp are rehabilitated. UN-Habitat and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) partnered to support improving the lives of Palestinian refugees in the camp by restoring services and ensuring recovery with the support of the Government of Japan.
"This is my father's house. For me, returning home was a dream,” Qusai Saleh, a Palestinian refugee returning to his rehabilitated house said, describing his feelings as a mixture of joy, laughter and tears.
Saleh is among 10,000 Palestinians who once lived in the camp, which became severely damaged due to the conflict in Syria. Since their displacement, over 3,700 Palestinian refugees returned to Dera’a, where they faced extremely difficult living conditions and limited access to basic services.
“I’m very happy to see people restart their lives in a more normal way,” Ryan Knox, the UN-Habitat Head of Syria Programme, said while standing in front of the rehabilitated house of one of the Palestinian refugees benefitting from the partnership during a visit to the camp to inaugurate a rehabilitated school, health centre and repaired shelters.
The rehabilitation of al-Safsaf Tiberias School enables around 800 students to continue their education in a newly refurbished school compound. Additionally, the camp’s health centre was designed with increased access for persons with disabilities and features an environmentally friendly solar power system to generate electricity and decrease fuel consumption costs.
Further rehabilitation included minor home repair support to around 200 of the most vulnerable Palestine refugee families, in addition to the construction of a playground. Two hundred of the youth in the camp now have access to vocational training opportunities through UNRWA’s technical and vocational training centres.
“It is my hope that we can replicate this success and support thousands of refugees who are returning to other places like Yarmouk and Ein el Tal camps, which were also severely damaged during the conflict,” Mr. Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, stated.
Over 40 percent of Palestinian refugees living in Syria are displaced internally. Additionally, UNRWA reports that more than 95% of Palestinians remaining in Syria require aid in order to meet their basic needs.
“I’m very happy to see people restart their lives in a more normal way,” Ryan Knox, the UN-Habitat Head of Syria Programme, said while standing in front of the rehabilitated house of one of the Palestinian refugees benefitting from the partnership during a visit to the camp to inaugurate a rehabilitated school, health centre and repaired shelters.
The rehabilitation of al-Safsaf Tiberias School enables around 800 students to continue their education in a newly refurbished school compound. Additionally, the camp’s health centre was designed with increased access for persons with disabilities and features an environmentally friendly solar power system to generate electricity and decrease fuel consumption costs.
Further rehabilitation included minor home repair support to around 200 of the most vulnerable Palestine refugee families, in addition to the construction of a playground. Two hundred of the youth in the camp now have access to vocational training opportunities through UNRWA’s technical and vocational training centres.
“It is my hope that we can replicate this success and support thousands of refugees who are returning to other places like Yarmouk and Ein el Tal camps, which were also severely damaged during the conflict,” Mr. Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, stated.
Over 40 percent of Palestinian refugees living in Syria are displaced internally. Additionally, UNRWA reports that more than 95% of Palestinians remaining in Syria require aid in order to meet their basic needs.