Baqa’a Refugee Camp

There are ten refugee camps in Jordan. We visited one in Amman named Baqa'a. Statistics about the camp are contained at http://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/jordan/baqaa.html These stats show 80,000+ The camp director reported 90,000, but the numbers are difficult because of the flow of people in and out, and a number of people are classified as displaced persons who aren't refugees. Displaced persons are those people who have escaped from the West Bank who were already Jordanian citizens.

We were shown the best parts of the camp. Although, originally tents, concrete stuctures have been built on the spots. A family might have been given 10 meters. I went in one residence that was shared between a man and his brother. There were ten people residing in an area smaller than my hotel room. The man was suffering from depression. Since this was his past, present, and future, it is easy to understand why. I wonder how long can this go on? Will these camps still be here through this century?



A passing truck driver after asking where we were from yelled, "I love America, but not Bush."







These kids clamoured to pose for a picture. They love digital cameras because they can see themselves. I wonder if it confirms their existence and importance.



Information about all of the Jordanian camps http://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/jordan.html
Some personal stories of people who have spent 50 years in a camp. http://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/stories/56th_anniversary.html

I wonder if in human history if the world has produced temporary refugee camps that are permanent like the American Indian reservations. I guess when you take someone's land you put them in camps so they can't get their property back.
As current events continue to expand, we may have additional refugees and displaced persons in Jordan. I am reminded of the saying "That to continue to do the same thing when it doesn't work expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity."