Jerash camp is located 5 km West of Jerash city, 50 km North of Amman, along the highway to Irbid. The population of Jerash camp is exclusively made of Palestinian refugees from Gaza, seeking refuge in Jordan after 1967. Before Switzerland and Jordan agreed to renew the water supply system in the camp and to install a sanitation network, the water supply was dysfunctional and prone to frequent contamination, as waste water was running openly in the streets, contaminating the dilapidated water network. Diarrhea and skin diseases were more frequent than in any of the other refugee camps in Jordan.
To enhance living conditions for the residents of the camp and to reduce contamination of the environment, a modern water and sewage system now services nearly 3’000 houses (about 26’000 residents) thanks to the cooperation between the Department for Palestinian Affairs, the Water Authority of Jordan and the Yarmouk Water Company. This project has been funded and supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). During the inauguration ceremony in Jerash, Swiss Ambassador Hans-Peter Lenz said: “We are all proud today to have contributed to the enhanced dignity of the inhabitants of Jerash, who can now live in a cleaner and healthier environment”.
This successful project is an illustration of Swiss-Jordanian cooperation towards universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water, sanitation and hygiene. It is also a contribution to the protection of ecosystems by preventing contamination of water bodies. Switzerland’s support to Jordan for humanitarian aid and development programs amounts to approximately JD 20 million in 2016.
Press Release in Arabic (PDF, 1 Page, 120.5 kB)
Address for inquiries
Mr. Manuel Etter, Head of Cooperation
Embassy of Switzerland
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Tel. +962-6-585 60 20
Fax +962-6-581 59 56
Email: amman@eda.admin.ch
