UN and partners visit severely damaged Jenin Refugee Camp

The two-day military operation was the fiercest in over 20 years, according to the UN agency that supports Palestine refugees, UNRWA.

At least 12 people were killed, including four children, and another 140 were injured. Around 900 houses were damaged, with many now uninhabitable.

“We went to Jenin Camp with our partners to show solidarity with residents and reassure them that they are not alone,” said Leni Stenseth, the UNRWA Deputy Commissioner-General.

Trauma, exhaustion and fear

The delegation also included Adam Bouloukos, Director of the agency’s West Bank Field Office and Lynn Hastings, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, who were accompanied by several senior representatives from the international and donor community.

“The destruction I saw was shocking. Some houses were completely burned down, cars had been crushed against walls, roads were damaged. The UNRWA health centre was destroyed,” Ms. Stenseth said.

“But more than the physical damage, I saw the trauma in the eyes of camp residents who had witnessed the violence. I heard them speak about their exhaustion and fear.”

Classrooms practically empty

Around 24,000 people live in the Jenin Refugee Camp, which is located in the northern West Bank. The UNRWA health centre there was so badly damaged that it can no longer be used, and its four schools also sustained minor damage.

While some students were back in the classroom on Sunday, attendance was very low, with some parents reporting that their children were too scared to leave their homes.

Mr. Bouloukos said the delegation visited a classroom where students shared that just 10 days ago, they had buried a classmate who was killed in an earlier incursion. He said it is very hard for children to walk to school as the main roads are still unusable.

“When trying to find alternative ways to school, some younger children lost their way. We truly feared for their safety due to the risks of unexploded ordinance. A priority now is to provide mental and psychosocial support to help children cope with their fear and anxiety,” he added.

Clean-up underway

The Jenin Refugee Camp has witnessed severe violence over the last two years, UNRWA said, with 2023 being particularly intense.

“The camp is now partially without access to electricity and water,” Mr. Bouloukos said. “Nearly eight kilometers of water piping and three kilometers of sewage lines were destroyed due to the use of heavy machinery that ripped up large sections of the roads.”

Large-scale cleaning operations are underway, and UNRWA commended local and municipal authorities for their efforts in this regard.

At least 3,500 people were forced to flee their homes due to the military operation. UNRWA said priority is on helping to restore some sense of normality for residents by resuming its services in the camp, in areas such as education, health, sanitation and providing cash assistance to families.

The UN agency urged donors and partners to immediately make funds available for its humanitarian response in the camp.

Ms. Stenseth also underscored the greater need for peace across the occupied Palestinian territories "through a much needed just political solution that will also address the plight of Palestine Refugees.”