Coronavirus hits Palestinian refugee camps in West Bank
More than 90% of the new coronavirus cases were detected in refugee camps in the northern and southern West Bank, according to unofficial figures obtained by UNRWA.
By KHALED ABU TOAMEHPalestinian women work in a sanitiser factory amid precautions against the coronavirus, in Hebron in the West Bank March 12, 2020(photo credit: REUTERS/MUSSA QAWASMA)
Palestinian officials warned on Wednesday of a dramatic increase in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in refugee camps throughout the West Bank and called on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to step up its efforts to curb the spread of the disease.The officials said that 729 Palestinians living in the refugee camps had been diagnosed with the disease by Wednesday.Two patients, from Balata refugee camp (near Nablus) and Aida (near Bethlehem), respectively, have died of the disease, the officials said.More than 90% of the new coronavirus cases were detected in refugee camps in the northern and southern West Bank, according to unofficial figures obtained by UNRWA, which is responsible for providing various health, education and other services to residents of 19 Palestinian camps.The camps in the northern West Bank, located in the areas of Nablus, Tulkarm and Jenin, include Askar, Balata, Far’a, Ein Beit el-Ma’, Tulkarm camp, Nur Shams and Jenin camp.The camps located in the southern West Bank (Bethlehem and Hebron) include Aida, Beit Jibrin, Dehaishe, Arroub and Fawwar.The camps located in the central West Bank are Kalandiya, Jalazone, Am’ari, Deir Ammar (near Ramallah) and Aqbat Jabr and Ein el-Sultan (near Jericho).At least 78 infected cases were discovered in the past few days in Jalazone camp (near Ramallah), located across the street from the settlement of Beit El.Mahmoud Mubarak, head of the Jalazone “Popular Committee,” expressed concern that the number of residents infected with the disease would continue to rise. Mubarak said that efforts were under way to evict the patients to quarantine centers outside the camp.UNRWA has expressed readiness to help cover the costs of accommodation for camp patients who would be moved to hotels in the Ramallah area, he added. “The camps are overcrowded, and that’s one of the reasons why the coronavirus is spreading there,” Mubarak explained.
On Wednesday, the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health announced that another 32 residents of Jalazone were diagnosed with the disease in the past 24 hours, while another eight were discovered in Ein el-Sultan, one in Aqbat Jabr, one in Far’a, and 13 in Kalandiya.Altogether, 419 cases of coronavirus were discovered in the PA-controlled areas in the West Bank in the past 24 hours, the ministry said, adding that another two patients died, raising the death toll to 47.Ahmed Abu Holi, a member of the PLO Executive Committee and head of its Refugee Affairs Department, warned that the situation in the West Bank refugee camps has entered a “dangerous stage.” The camps don’t have the resources to cope with the coronavirus, he said. “We are talking about dozens of cases that were discovered in many refugee camps, and this requires quick action to prevent the disease from spreading,” Abu Holi said.
