Mrajeeb Al Fhood | |
Settlement Type: | Refugee camp |
Flag Size: | 180px |
Pushpin Map: | Jordan |
Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
Pushpin Mapsize: | 300 |
Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Jordan |
Subdivision Type: | Country |
Subdivision Name: | Jordan |
Subdivision Type1: | Governorate |
Subdivision Name1: | Zarqa Governorate |
Leader Title: | director-general |
Leader Name: | Saif Ali Al Dhaher[1] |
Established Title: | Settled |
Established Date: | 2013 |
Unit Pref: | Imperial |
Area Total Km2: | 0.34 |
Population As Of: | 2013 |
Population Note: | figures from January 7, 2015 (est.) |
Population Total: | 4,196 |
Population Density Km2: | 12341 |
Population Blank1 Title: | Ethnicities |
Timezone: | UTC+2 |
Utc Offset: | +2 |
Timezone Dst: | UTC+3 |
Utc Offset Dst: | +3 |
Coordinates: | 32.0313°N 36.4495°W |
Mrajeeb Al Fhood refugee camp (also spelled variously as Murijep al Fhoud and Marjeeb Al Fahood and also known as Emirati-Jordanian[2]) is a refugee camp for refugees fleeing the Syrian Civil War. It is located in Mrajeeb Al Fhood, a stretch of arid plains some 20 kilometers east of Zarqa, Jordan. It was opened in April 2013 to cope with the overflow from Zaatari refugee camp and is funded by the United Arab Emirates.[3]
At the time of building, Jordanian officials feared that the number of Syrian refugees in Jordan could double in the following six months as the fighting escalated during warmer weather.[4], the camp had a population of 4,196;[5] in 2017 it housed about the same number.[2]
Mrajeeb Al Fhood is only infrequently visited by journalists due to its isolated location in the Jordanian desert. It is considered a “five star camp”, guaranteeing the best human conditions to refugees. For Syrians fleeing war, upgrading one's own life means being able to relocate to this camp. It gives priority to widows with children, single women, the elderly, disabled people, or large families; single men are not allowed.[6]
In 2017, a delegation of members from the European Parliament (MEPs) of the “EU-UAE Parliamentary Friendship Group”, the first of its kind by a European parliamentary delegation since the opening of the camp.[7] In 2018, the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference and Exhibition (DIHAD) in cooperation with the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), with the support of the UAE Embassy in Jordan, launched a humanitarian initiative to support the Syrian refugees by providing and distributing a total of 2,400 school bags, stationery and other essential educational supplies for the students of the camp.[8]