The poor living conditions in Jerash camp are frequently cited, and often discussed in
tandem with the status of ex-Gazans (UNRWA, no date c, p. 41, no date a, p. 10, no date
b; Perez, 2010; Tiltnes and Zhang, 2013, p. 258). Yet a systematic analysis of the extent
to which ex-Gazans’ specific status accounts for socioeconomic conditions in Jerash camp
has, to our knowledge, not yet been undertaken. There are other features of Jerash camp
that could contribute to its low socio-economic profile: For example, it is situated relatively far away from Jordan’s major industrial centres, and Jerash governorate as a whole
performs below average on many labour force indicators within Jordan (DoS and Fafo,
2015). Therefore, in order to better understand the causes of poor conditions in Jerash,
we must also examine how ex-Gazans in other camps fare. To date, research amongst exGazans has focussed on Jerash camp (see for example Perez, 2010; Feldman, 2012) which
is, after all, home to only half of the ex-Gaza camp population, and, without comparative
data, we cannot know whether ex-Gazans in Jerash camp find themselves in such a dire
predicament because they are ex-Gazan, or because they are ex-Gazan in Jerash camp.
That is to say, if we control for legal status, does the specific camp location have an independent influence on determining residents’ socio-economic profile? If this is the case,
can we move towards understanding why?
Based on survey data collected for all 13 refugee camps and more than 100 interviews
with residents of Jerash camp and elsewhere, this report seeks to shed light on the socioeconomic conditions of ex-Gazans living inside refugee camps in Jordan and the dynamics
that drive the particularly dire circumstances in Jerash camp. Understanding this, we
hope, will enable development of better policies targeting ex-Gaza Palestinian refugees
in general and those residing in Jerash camp in particular.
Report overview
This report is divided into three main parts. Part 1 provides relevant background information: chapter 1 presents the data sources and survey methodology. We explain how
ex-Gazans are identified in the datasets and define a few key concepts. Because the major
concern of this research is the extent to which ex-Gazans’ legal status impacts upon their
socio-economic conditions, we provide background information on key aspects of the political-legal framework that applies to ex-Gazans in Jordan.
Part 2 turns to the socio-economic conditions of ex-Gazans living inside refugee camps
in Jordan and presents comparative analysis of ex-Gazans in Jerash camp, ex-Gazans in
the remaining 12 camps, and other Palestinian refugees — those holding Jordanian citizenship — residing inside camps other than Jerash.
Chapter 2 presents the key demographic features of these groups. Palestinian refugees
inside and outside camps follow Jordan’s demographic transition, primarily accounted for
through reduced fertility; however, ex-Gazans are, overall, a more youthful population.
Nevertheless, it is Jerash camp that sticks out with exceptionally large households and
high child dependency and fertility rates.
Larger household size and child dependency ratios do not necessarily imply poverty; it
can be offset by a higher income on the part of the working members of the household.
Chapter 3 looks at income poverty and asset wealth. As anticipated, due to the restrictions they face, ex-Gazans in other camps earn less and are consistently somewhat
poorer than their citizen counterparts; however, this gap is slight when compared to the
stark difference between Jerash residents and all other camp refugees. Ex-Gazans in Jerash camp score significantly more poorly on all indicators for wage income and, indicative of entrenched longer-term poverty, possession of assets. Not surprisingly, they much
more often receive transfers than both ex-Gazans and other Palestinian refugees in other
Fafo Report 2019:34
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