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ʿEin es-Sulṭān camp (Arabic: عين سلطان, romanized: ʿAin Sulṭān, lit. 'Sultan's spring'), or ʿEin Sultan camp, is a refugee camp in the Jericho Governorate of the State of Palestine, in the Jordan Valley, in the eastern West Bank. The village is located adjacent to the Ein es-Sultan or Elisha Spring, for which it is named, and the archaeological site of Tell es-Sultan, 1 kilometer north-west of the city of Jericho.
ʿEin/ʿAin es-Sulṭān | |
|---|---|
Place | |
| Arabic transcription(s) | |
| • Arabic | مخيّم عين سلطان |
| • Latin | Ayn al-Sulṭān (official) |
  ʿEin/ʿAin es-Sulṭān Location of ʿEin es Sultan/ʿAin as-Sulṭān within Palestine | |
| Coordinates: 31°52′40.24″N 35°26′46.24″E / 31.8778444°N 35.4461778°E | |
| State | State of Palestine |
| Governorate | Jericho |
| Founded | 1948 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 870 dunams (0.87 km2 or 0.34 sq mi) |
| Population (2017)[1] | |
| • Total | 4,384 |
| • Density | 5,000/km2 (13,000/sq mi) |
| (including non-refugees) | |
| Name meaning | Sultan's Spring |
ʿEin es-Sulṭān had a population of over 4,384 inhabitants in 2017.[1] In 1997, refugees constituted 81% of the population.[2]
History
ʿEin es-Sulṭān or ʿAin as-Sulṭān camp was established in 1948, on 870 dunums of arid land below the Mount of Temptation. Just before the 1967 Arab-Israeli conflict, the camp had accommodated some 20,000 refugees. During the hostilities the majority of the refugees fled across the Jordan River to Jordan.[3] On 13 November 1985, following an agreement with UNRWA, the Israeli authorities began a program of demolishing unused houses. At the time the camp’s population was 600.[4] In 1987 the authorities tried to expel as many of the refugees as they could. The US reports state that the refugees were suffering from "deteriorating economic circumstances".[5]
Today, ʿEin Sulṭān has a small population of only 1,732 registered refugees. Some non-refugees have moved onto the camp's lands and built illegal homes as there is over-crowding and Israel authorities controls the issuing of building permits.[6][7]
Water
Water scarcity is a major problem in this arid area, especially during the summer. The springs Ayn as-Sultan, Ayn an-Nuway'mia and Ayn ad-Duyuk were utilised during Roman rule for irrigation to cultivate the land.[8] After 1975 the water from the spring Ain as-Sultan was collected in four small basins.[5] UNRWA supplies Ein Sultan with water by pumping it from a nearby spring. The out fall of the spring is close to Tell el-Sultan, the site of ancient Jericho.[9] During the summer months, water shortages in the camp cause tremendous hardship for the refugees.[10] However, the Israeli water company Mekorot has become the main supplier of water to the camp after Israel took control of water sources.[6]
Following the signing of the 1994 Gaza–Jericho Agreement and Israeli army redeployment, the camp came under the control of the Palestinian National Authority.[6]
In 2002, two stories were added to Ein Sultan School, including a new library, a multi-purpose room, an additional three classrooms and a computer lab.
Notable people
References
- ^ a b Preliminary Results of the Population, Housing and Establishments Census, 2017 (PDF). Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) (Report). State of Palestine. February 2018. pp. 64–82. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
- ^ Palestinian Population by Locality and Refugee Status Archived 2012-02-12 at the Wayback Machine (1997) Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ Laurie A. Brand (1991) Palestinians in the Arab World: Institution Building and the Search for State Columbia University Press, ISBN 0-231-06723-2, p 152
- ^ Middle East International No 263, 22 November 1985, Publishers Lord Mayhew, Dennis Walters MP; Daoud Kuttab p. 11
- ^ a b Near East/South Asia Report By United States Foreign Broadcast Information Service, United States Joint Publications Research Service Published by Foreign Broadcast Information Service, 1987 pp 16 and 28
- ^ a b c Ein Sultan United Nations Relief and Works Agency 1 March 2005.
- ^ "Badil". Archived from the original on 2011-05-25. Retrieved 2009-03-24.
- ^ Nagendra Kr Singh, Nagendra Kumar Singh (2000) International Encyclopaedia of Islamic Dynasties Anmol Publications PVT. LTD., ISBN 81-261-0403-1 p 218
- ^ "Franciscan Cyberspot". Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2009-03-24.
- ^ UNRWA camp profile
