INSIDE BAQA'A CAMP

Baqa'a refugee camp, located 20 kilometers north of Amman, is one of six emergency camps set up in 1968 to accommodate Palestine refugees and displaced people who left the West Bank and Gaza Strip as a result of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. It is currently the largest camp in Jordan with over 100,000 registered refugees. Since 1968, the camp has transitioned from temporary tent structures to more permanent concrete buildings. The land the “official” camp occupies (approx. 1.5 square kilometers) is one of the most densely populated plots in the country. Major problems inside the camp include poverty, child labor, inadequate trash collection, and high unemployment and divorce rates. Baqa’a is a rough place, but under its surface lies a community full of humanity that has endured untold hardships. Above is a photo essay I did for Jo Magazine about the camp.